Vuelta Arriba
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East of Santa Clara, the Carretera Central and Route 4-321 run through the Vuelta Arriba region, one of Cuba’s premier tobacco-growing regions. The scenery is marvelous as you pass fields tilled by ox-drawn plows and stir up the dust in small agricultural towns lent a Wild West feel by horses tethered to sagging arcades that line the main streets.
The district is unique within Cuba for the year-end parrandas, festivals in which rockets whiz through the streets and hand-held fireworks and “mortars” explode with a military boom as the townsfolk of each community divide into two historic camps and vie to see who can produce the best parade float and the loudest din. In all, 14 local communities hold parrandas, most notably Placetas, Remedios, Zulueta, and San Antonio de las Vueltas, which uniquely holds its parranda in August.
© Christopher P. Baker from Moon Cuba, 5th Edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.