Kiato is located 22 kilometers west of Corinth and is the seat of the Municipality of Sikyon and the second urban center of the Prefecture. It concentrates the commercial and administrative functions of Western Corinthia, with its port playing a significant role in the region's development, as it served as a hub for exporting citrus products from the Prefecture to Eastern countries. It consists of the main town and three settlements: Neapolis (west), Tragana (south), and Agios Ioannis (east). The port of Kiato is of a commercial nature and mainly serves the export of agricultural products and the import of raw materials for the region's industries. The connection of the municipality with Athens via the suburban railway, the completion of the major road axis PATHE (Athens-Patras), in combination with the national road Kalamata-Tripoli-Corinth, could alter the development model and bring changes to land use (increase in residential areas, complementary transport infrastructures).

Significant Attractions in the Area

The Aesthetic Forest of Mougostou, which houses a variety of plant and animal species. The total area of the forest is 7,185 acres. It was declared Aesthetic by the Presidential Decree of 5/1977, published in the Official Gazette 175 D’ on 26/1977. It is located southwest of the village Souli in the Prefecture of Corinthia. It belongs to the Municipalities of Sikyon, Xylokastro, and Stymphalia. It is a natural forest of oak trees that developed on its own, following natural ecological succession. The forest extends over a slightly sloping area with a gradient of 3% to 20%, facing east at the foot of Mount Kyllini (Ziria). It belongs to the Mediterranean vegetation zone. The main trees found in the forest are the broadleaf oak (Quercus), Aleppo pine, black pine (in isolated individuals), Cephalonia fir, holm oak, olive, juniper, the wild pear, and characteristic strawberry trees and myrtle trees. In August 1998, the first and only prototype meteorological tower station in Greece, 32 meters high, was installed in the forest as part of the MEDEFLU research program (Mediterranean Flows). It operates under the responsibility of the Agricultural University of Athens.

The Holy Monastery of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Lechova is built on the eastern side of Mount Titan or Vesesa (1207m) at an altitude of 1050m, in the mountainous Corinthia. From Kiato, following the road into the interior of the prefecture, one passes through the village Souli, turns left towards Nemea, and reaches the village Kryoneri. Just outside this village, there is a branch leading to the monastery (4 kilometers) through a beautiful route full of plane trees. Following the gorge on the right bank of the river Elissona, the paved road quickly brings us to the pass, where the Monastery appears in the distance, surrounded by a fir forest.

The Ancient Theatre of Sikyon: The Ancient Theatre of Sikyon is considered one of the largest theatres in ancient Greece. All ancient Greek theatres were built in the same manner and with the same architectural design. From Kiato, following the road towards the interior of the prefecture, one passes through Sikyon. The Ancient Theatre is located slightly lower on the hill of Vasiliko (about 4 kilometers southeast of Kiato), which is a village after Sikyon.

The Kryoneri Observatory: The Astronomical Station of Kryoneri was founded in 1972. It is located in Corinthia, near the village Kryoneri. The 1.2m telescope of the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IAA) is installed here, with the main instrument being a CCD camera. A special unit for aluminizing the telescope mirrors is also located at the station. The station operates a mechanical and an electronic laboratory. Every August, the IAA organizes "Open Door" days at the Kryoneri Station, during which organized visits are held for the public, schools, etc. Information about the observation times with the 1.2m telescope can be obtained from the Station's Responsible Person, Dr. A. Dapergolas.