Located only 43 km northeast of Santa Clara, the colonial town of San Juan de Remedios is one of Cuba’s oldest towns. The village was founded in 1515 on the northern coast and was moved inland to its current location in 1524, after the residents were harassed by pirates. Today, visitors will find an attractive town with a host of well-preserved historical buildings, several impressive new hotels and a large central garden square, Plaza Martí. The main attraction in this square is the colonial grand church "Iglesia Mayor" of San Juan Bautista containing 13 beautifully decorated gold altars. While the town typically features a quiet, relaxing atmosphere, each year between the 16th and 26th of December, it is transformed from a sleepy village into a full-blown party town during the festivities known as "Las Parrandas de Remedios" , one of the oldest fiestas in Cuba.