Estimated time: The actual walking time takes a little over one hour and we hiked for exactly one hour and a half (total walking time). A nice spot to have a rest is the well of Vathipótamos, after 19 minutes of actual walking time.

Route description: On the second beach of Póles, near Karthéa, you notice the chapel of Panagía toon Póloon; on the right of this chapel you find the beginning of the trail – there is also a hiking sign, indicating three hikes: Stavroudáki 55' (hike no. [6]), Chavouná 50' (hike no. [7]) and Káto Meriá 1h05 (hike no. [5]).

The hiking sign in Karthéa.

At first, the path follows the stony, dry bed of the river, usually overshadowed by oleanders. You should not leave this bed too early – you pass a vague trail off the left, probably the beginning of hike no. [7]. You thus keep following the black hose until you climb out of the bed, slightly to the right and after about 13 minutes. Immediately thereafter, you cross some water to the left (on the 30th of May 2006) and you detect a red rectangle on the wall in front of you. The trail then goes up steeply on the left-hand side of the valley. You can hear the splashing of water and you also notice some vegetable gardens – the donkey dung tells you that this trail is frequented regularly.  

About 5 minutes further down you get to a hiking sign: Stavroudáki is straight ahead, the Pigí Vathipotámou is to the right; you go down, to the right, for about one minute and then you arrive at a well with lots of water. Further down, there are even more vegetable gardens, so this well was probably used abundantly in earlier days. At this point, hike no. [5] continues to the Káto Meriá.

The path between Vathipótamos and Stavroudáki.

For the following 26 minutes you keep climbing up and quite easily you get higher and higher above the deep valley. This valley thus clearly earns its name ("Vathipótamos" means "deep valley"). After some 20 minutes you move away from the main valley and you keep going up on the left-hand side of a smaller side-valley. Some 4 minutes later you get to a small, occupied farm and slightly further you reach a gravel road, where you take a right.

Very soon, the gravel road turns into concrete and it goes up steeply. You pass two more strips of gravel and after 12 minutes you arrive at the asphalt road, where you take a right again. A little further, you get to a crossing (Stavroudáki means "little crossing") with signposts: the narrower road on the left leads to Kokkináda (1 km), Kambí (a small beach, 5,5 km) and Koúndouros (beach, 8 km); the main road continues straight ahead, to Ioulída (18 km).

This might be the right place to meet a taxi.

[If you would like to make this hike in the opposite direction, as a brief alternative to hike no. [3], you should bear this in mind:
- just past (when coming from Ioulída) the crossing of the roads to Chavouná and Kokkináda, you have to take the gravel road on the left; there is a signpost with the Greek indication "ARXAIA KARTHAIA (POLES)". The gravel road becomes concrete and descends for about 12 minutes.
- after 12 minutes, where the concrete turns into earth, the road comes to a dead end against a rusty fence. The path begins on the left and there is also a sign to Karthéa, 40'. This trail is really unambiguous.

You can walk back the same way as you came, or you can take hike no.[5] to the Káto Meriá, from the well of Vathipótamos onwards. According to the Anávasi-map, this trail is very beautiful, with great panoramic views. This does mean, however, that you will have to walk on a gravel road a little longer in order to get to the asphalt road in the Káto Meriá.]