In the Rema Papa valley, in a shady forest of beeches, pines, maples, and holm oaks, oaks, and holm oaks, a small yellow sign nailed to a tree trunk with the words “Blue Lake” is an invitation!

It was July 2022 when George Spanos, a founding member of the Mountaineering Association of Vrontou, invited me to join a hike in Rema Papa and a dip in the Blue Lake. I was thrilled with the proposal and my imagination began to conjure up its own images. Hiking next to a stream, in a cool green forest, with a dip in an unknown blue lake… what more could anyone want in the heat of summer?

It’s August 2025 and the heat is still going strong. Sunday morning, the streets are empty and the beaches are full. Athena, excited at the prospect of diving into the cool waters of the Blue Lake, opens the passenger window to let in the fresh morning breeze and turns up the music.

The route is well known, passing through the famous Dion, then Karitsa, Vrontou, and climbing up to the mountainous routes of Olympus. The odometer reads 95 kilometers (from the center of Thessaloniki) and we stop at the parking lot outside the offices of the Mountaineering Association of Vrontou. We have planned for everything: mountaineering boots, batons, water shoes, swimsuits, snacks, and plenty of ice-cold water.

We start on the left on the dirt road, leaving behind us the little church of Agioi Apostoloi and following the sign for Papa Aloni/Mesonisi. In 5 minutes, we enter the path. Small uphill slopes between low bushes which, as we pass through them, release rich aromas around us. It smells like thyme, maybe oregano, and something else I can’t quite identify, says Athena. Happy voices can be heard ahead of us as we approach a small group of people who, with their dog, are seeking refreshment in some pools of the stream. We greet them and continue uphill towards our destination. Soon, the welcome shade of the leafy beech trees brings us relief, and a cool breeze blows in from the stream.

Our journey continues on flat ground. Dry leaves crunch under our boots, while our eyes try to adjust to the shade and make out the trees that create this green oasis. The smooth gray-brown trunks of the beech trees and the red, hard trunks with deep green fleshy leaves of “androuklia” coexist harmoniously with the straight chestnut-red trunks of the rough pine. It is characteristic of the vegetation of Olympus that the zones of evergreen, deciduous, and coniferous vegetation are not clearly distinguishable due to the intense relief of the mountain, its short distance from the sea, and its many microenvironments.

We hear the sound of water flowing in the stream to our right and look forward to seeing it. We resist the temptation to turn right onto the path which, as the yellow sign informs us, leads to the “Itamos” spring. We continue on our way, sometimes entering the forest and sometimes coming out into small clearings with rocky balconies, from where we have the opportunity to gaze at the valley and the peaks of Olympus.

We have covered 2.5 kilometers as we stand in front of the coveted yellow sign that leads to the Blue Lake. A steeply descending path with very discreet to sparse signage, with small green and yellow signs, leads us to the banks of the stream in 10 minutes. A couple of hikers are tying their hiking boots and are ready to start the return journey.

Take a dip when you reach the blue lake, the water is cold but it’s worth it, they tell us.

Before saying goodbye, they give us some useful information and advice on how to navigate the stream.

It is best to wear water shoes from the start. You can also walk on the rocks, but be careful as they are slippery. There are no markings, just some forgotten ribbons that have been bleached white by the sun, but don’t pay too much attention to them. The passages change from year to year. The route is constantly uphill. It will definitely take you an hour to get there, enjoy.

Athena and I look at each other and decide to go both ways. I put on my water shoes and Athena stays in her hiking boots.

I take a few steps into the water to warm up my feet, and we begin our journey. I look for passages with the least flow of the stream and Athena looks for stones to step on and move forward. In places where the riverbed narrows, the water flows rapidly and I have to keep my balance. There are also places where pools form and the water reaches up to my knees and higher. I make faster progress than Athena, who has to constantly cross from one bank to the other, finding the least slippery stones. I see her jumping from rock to rock like a happy, carefree, and therefore fearless little goat, and I am glad she is enjoying herself, although I am also anxious about her stability. There are places where the stream widens, the water becomes shallower, and the rocks recede. The blue horizon then reveals itself in all its glory, along with the mountain peaks, and the sun dries us and warms us. And then, there are other points where the trees merge with the water, the branches rest on the rocks, and the shady coolness freezes us.

We are already an hour and 15 minutes from the start of the stream, having covered a distance of 1,500 meters, and only now do I hear the sound of the big waterfall. We are approaching the lake. The first time, the route seemed easier and shorter to me. Perhaps the river’s flow was not as strong. I look at Athena a few meters away, sitting on a rock, taking off her hiking boots and replacing them with water shoes. This last passage can only be crossed through the stream.

A few meters further up, the Blue Lake appears before us. The gurgling water of the waterfall rushes down from high up in the mountain and creates ripples in the lake, as well as small droplets that fly around and cool us down. We take various positions to photograph this well-hidden natural paradise, which we are eager to enjoy with our other senses as well.

We dive into the blue waters and are shocked. The water is so cold that you can only stand it for two seconds. Besides, the force of the waterfall pushes you away. Even so, it is a pleasure to hear the rush of water, look at the blue-green hues, breathe in the coolness of the moss, sunbathe on the smooth rocks, and experience these unique moments with your loved one.

And because everything ends with a good meal (or at least, it should), Di Posto’s delicious margarita pizza in Karitsa adds an important piece to our happiness!