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The isthmus connecting mainland Greece to the Peloponnese frustrated sailors for thousands of years, forcing them to make long, dangerous journeys around the peninsula. Everyone from Alexander the Great to Roman emperors Nero and Caligula tried digging a canal, but success came only in 1893, when French engineers dynamited their way through the rock. Boats take about an hour to make the 6-km (4-mile) journey.

Corinth’s location, between the Peloponnese and mainland Greece, made it a rich and powerful trading centre from Mycenaean times onwards. Material wealth was accompanied by a reputation for wild and licentious lifestyles, including polygamy and orgiastic cults, which St Paul addressed with great concern in the biblical Book of Corinthians . After the 19th century, Corinth declined into a small, unattractive city. Its attraction resides in the extensive remains of the ancient glories, especially the 6th-century BC Temple of Apollo, and the Roman Agora and Odeon.

This towering rock outside Corinth was the strongest natural fortification in ancient Greece. In Archaic times it was crowned by a famous temple to Aphrodite. The structures you see today are mostly medieval Turkish, often having been built over much older buildings. It is a hefty hike to the top, but the effort is rewarded with great views.

In recent years, the Greek wine industry has been gaining international acclaim, finally bringing serious cultivation techniques to its sun-drenched soils and indigenous grapes. Gaia is one of the best new vineyards, producing deep velvety wines from Nemea’s Aghiorghitiko red grapes.

This was the site of the first labour of Herakles: the slaying of the Nemean lion. The lion’s skin was impenetrable, so Herakles strangled the beast, then skinned it and kept its pelt as a coat of armour. This is one of several legends connected with the founding of the Nemean Games, which formed part of the Panhellenic Games. The highlight of Nemea is walkingthrough the great stadium where the contests took place.

Legend and history combine alluringly at Mycenae. Homer wrote of Agamemnon, Greece’s most powerful king during the Trojan War, commanding the citadel of “well-built Mycenae, rich in gold.” And history confirms that indeed there was a Trojan War and a powerful civilization based in Mycenae. The evidence came together when Heinrich Schliemann discovered the palace at Mycenae in 1874, much of which accords with Homer’s descriptions, including the wealth of gold.

Believed to be the longest continually inhabited town in Greece, the modern town sits right on top of the ancient one, leaving much to wonder about but little to see. Fortunately, the4th-century theatre and excellent museum are well worth visiting, and, if you have a car, drive to the medieval castles of Larissa and Aspis overlooking the plain immortalized by Homer.

This was one of the most important cities of the Mycenaean civilization. Its fortifications of limestone were so massive that later Greeks believed they could have been built only by the giant Cyclops – archaeologists still refer to the walls as “Cyclopean”. Although not as grand as Mycenae, Tiryns is better-preserved, especially the ancient palace and great hall.

Small, seaside Nafplio is one of Greece’s most beautiful cities. For years the Turks and Venetians fought for the city, leaving behind two fantastic hilltop Venetian fortresses and several Turkish mosques. The Greeks seized Nafplio when they won independence in 1821 and made it their first capital, before Athens took that mantle.

The 4th-century BC Theatre of Epidauros is one of the best sites in Greece, marvellously preserved and with astounding acoustics (see Hellenic Festival (Jun–Sep)). Outside the theatre is the sprawling Asklepion, an ancient spa and resort devoted to Asklepios, the god of health.