The final stage leaves Corinth across the isthmus. Soon after town comes the Corinth Canal: 6.3 km long, cut deep through rock, separating the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. From there, the route follows the Saronic Gulf through Agioi Theodoroi, Kineta and Megara. This is not a quiet scenic lane all the way to Athens. It is real Attica: sea views, railway line, small climbs, roadside industry, towns and traffic. At Eleusis, one of Greece’s major ancient religious sites sits right on the line; the sanctuary was the centre of the Eleusinian Mysteries. After that, Athens arrives in layers rather than at one clear point: port edges, industrial belts, suburbs, wide approach roads. The finish brings the centre, the hills and the Acropolis into view.
