Evaluation: This hike first follows the same walking trails as walk [1] to Otziás and as the walk to Spathí: so you follow the same route up to the Lion and the source of Venjamin, then you turn right. Later on, there are still some beautiful trails, but unfortunately there is also quite a long part of the walk that follows the road that was paved in 2009 (about 3 km). Towards the end, there is again a nice trail that leads to the very photogenic place of Kastrianí.
This hike is well marked at the beginning with wooden signs and trail markers [1] or – until the bifurcation to Spathí – [10] .
For the way back, you can walk back along the same route, but we took a taxi from Kastrianí to Ioulída (15 €). Deserves **.
[The translation of this walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: This walk takes, in actual walking time (AWT), about 1h50: the total time (TWT) however can easily go up to 3h30. If you start at about 10am, you can picnic in the courtyard of the monastery of Kastrianí around 1am.

Route description: (0h00) For all hikes departing from Chóra you leave from the parking place (with bus stop). You walk through the archway – stóa – with the small shop Kianos on your right. You enter a tiny square – the Piátsa, with the outdoor terrace of the café/estiatório I Piátsa. Turn right, through a modern vaulted archway, to the centre. Left leads to the Kástro. 

The Piátsa.

The small street on the left leads to the Kástro, but you take a right, through a modern vault, to the centre. After some 20 metres you keep to the right at a large wooden hiking sign; in front of you, you can see the church with the red dome of the Agios Dimítrios. You pass the nice bar + terrace En Levkoó and via the Odós A. Lazarídi. About 80 metres after the wooden hiking sign you get to the central square, the "platía", with the "dimarchío" or town hall.
You continue and at the small electricity store you branch right; you then go up the staircase street (a small sign points to the "archaíos léoon", the "old lion"). After 2 minutes you get to the crossing of the important hikes [3] (on the right, to Karthéa) and [1].

The hiking sign for the walks [1] and [3].

The hiking sign points straight ahead  and in this way it takes you 1-2 minutes to reach the large church of Agios Spiridónas, with next to it the beautiful terrace of the restaurant To Stéki.

Past the church you keep following the nice and broad main street, which goes up slightly. You leave the houses behind you and you arrive at a marvellously paved trail. On the opposite side of the valley you can already distinguish the continuation of the trail, with underneath the location of the Lion.

View on the location of the Lion of Kéa.

Your path curves to the left, under the cemetery with beautiful cyprus trees; you thus get a nice view on the town of Chóra behind you. You pass a nice well with the two-headed eagle and you get a nice view on the Lion as well. Further on, the trail curves to the left, near a well and underneath the small chapel of Agios Elefthérios – a great spot to admire the panoramic view on Chóra. The pavement comes to an end and two minutes later you get to the small iron gate that gives entrance to the Lion of Kéa on the left.

The Lion of  Kéa.

This magnificent statue, dating from the years 600 BC is a statue from the archaic era: the slight smile of the animal reminds us of the smile of the koúros-statues, so typical for the archaic era (7^th – 6^th centuries BC). The lion is probably connected to the legend of the lion that chased the nymphs. According to the myth, the bloom of the island, which was then rich in water (hence the ancient name "Hydroussa", from the ancient Greek "hudoor" = water) and which was the residence of the water nymphs or Naïades, was brutally disturbed by the arrival of a lion. The lion chased away the water nymphs, who fled to the nearby Euboea, which was followed by a long period of drought. This drought came to an end, only because Aristaeus, son of the god Apollo, and known as the inventor of the apiculture, brought into existence the summer wind or meltémi, and this as a result of his sacrifices to the god Zeus. Maybe, the smile we saw on the face of the lion, was rather a grin…?   

The "smile" of the Lion.

A little caress...

(0h18) After this mythological intermezzo you return to the main trail, which you continue to the left; sometimes it is rocky and sometimes it consists of gravel. You have a nice view on the left and behind you and after some 7 minutes you arrive at a large spot around a marvellous plane tree and the beautiful well of Venjamin (Benjamin). The rings in the wall tell you that earlier on, this was a spot often used as watering place and halting place for animals.

The well of Venjamin.

Writing down some notes next to the well of Venjamin.

Straight ahead, your sandy path continues horizontally and some 2 minutes later you arrive at a junction with a nice sign post: going down on the left is trail no. [1], which continues to Otziás (another 1h05), the trail on the right leads to Spathí (another 1h30).

The hiking sign to Otziás and Spathí.