Paros is famous across the world, and for many different reasons. For generations of Greek and foreign travelers, it has been tied to a sense of youth, freedom, and the intoxicating allure of the Cycladic isles. As early as the 1980s, the island offered the full Aegean promise: nature, whitewashed villages, lively lanes, the sea in its most elemental form, ease, and pleasure.

Just before the arrival of the intense summer season, certain moments, places, flavors, smells, and above all people reveal another part of this magnificent island, an aspect that is still authentic and deeply attractive.

To make these encounters your own, you will find a complete directory of the places, artisans, and tables mentioned in this piece compiled at the end of this article.

A Morning in Prodromos

The rain was heavy, pouring down the windshield of my rented car beneath a dark mass of cloud.

A few minutes later it had quickly passed, and the warm sun evaporated the humidity, creating an atmosphere that was weird and briefly stifling. The ring road of Parikia was already offering a clear preview of traffic and the inevitable congestion to come. Beautiful, hospitable islands may be generous in spirit, but they have limited space for the number of cars that demand to circulate along their roads. At the familiar little grove of pine trees, I turned right toward Naousa, heading for the whitewashed villages beneath the shadow of Agios Antonios. Since a previous visit to the island, I had been harboring an unmet desire: to visit the Tsitsanis taverna in Prodromos.

Although it was still early in the morning, well before noon, Vlassis Roussos had no qualms about serving up local Parian kefalotyri, chickpeas, and broad beans with artichokes, which completely immersed me in their flavors, and a portion of rooster in a rich red wine sauce, a traditional recipe executed beautifully.

Tsitsanis is the oldest taverna in eastern Paros, operating since 1969. Vlassis’s father, Ioannis Roussos, opened it originally as a little bit of everything: part grocery, part meze shop. Over the years, it has maintained its local character and has become a reference point for visitors who want to understand the cooking of the area.

Read more at Travel.gr/en