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In Inca times, the area that today constitutes the province of Rioja was inhabited by two tribes: the Uquihuas and the Chepenes.



At the end of the 16th century, Archbishop Toribio de Mogrovejo arrived in Uquihua as one of the first Catholic catechists. Later in the 18th century, with the same mission, Bishop Baltasar Jaime Martínez de Compagñón, the Mayor of Trujillo, Juan José Martínez de Pinillos, and the Chief Justice, Félix de la Rosa Reátegui y Gaviria, arrived. The latter, commissioned by Martínez de Compagñón, founded the town of Santo Toribio de la Nueva Rioja, on September 22, 1782.

Rioja, had a notable participation in the consolidation of the Independence of Maynas, because, after proclaiming its independence, on August 19, 1821, a group of rebel royalists continued to disturb the tranquility of many Amazonian peoples; among them Moyobamba, where they had made their center of operations.



On September 4, 1822, the patriotic troops, led by Lieutenant Colonel Nicolás Arriola, left Chachapoyas in the direction of Moyobamba. On their way through Rioja, they wage three battles: Battle of La Ventana, Tambo del Visitador and Rioja. Winners, the patriots advance, with the support of many Riojans, towards the people of Havana, where the Battle of Havana is being fought; With which it is possible to definitively defeat the Spanish, proclaiming the independence of Maynas on September 25, 1822.



By Law No. 8142 of 1935, the Province of Rioja was created, counting at that time only with 4 districts: Rioja, Posic, Yorongos and Yuracyacu. Later, after the opening of the Marginal Highway, new towns were formed, creating then five more districts: Pardo Miguel, Nueva Cajamarca, Elías Soplín Vargas, San Fernando and Awajún; thus determining its current political distribution.



The city of Rioja, "Noble and Cozy City of Hats", is located in the Alto Mayo valley, north of the department of San Martín, Rioja, is communicated with the rest of the country by land and air, with great variety of tourist centers and services for all our visitors.



LOCATION.- The city of Rioja is located in the Alto Mayo valley, north of the department of San Martín. It is at 77 ° 08'30 ”of West Longitude and 06º03'00” of South Latitude.



EXTENSION.- Provincial: 2535.04 Km2. District: 185.69 Km2

ALTITUDE.- It has an altitude of 848 meters above sea level, its mountainous parts rise over 1,000 meters.



CLIMATOLOGY.- The climate can be classified as sub-tropical, semi-humid. The average annual temperature is 22.5 ° C., Registering variants between 16.5 ° C. and 28.4 ° C.



Ways of communication:



Rioja is communicated with the rest of the country by land and air.



By land.- Through the Marginal de la Selva Highway. There is daily service of buses, buses, minibuses and trucks to the mountains, coast and main cities of the department.



By air.- Rioja has an airport (once one of the most important in San Martín) that currently, due to certain restrictions, is not allowing the regular landing of commercial cargo and passenger aircraft.



By fluvial route.- This route is used through the Mayo, Tónchima and Negro rivers, by small boats (motor boats, canoes and rafts).



You can visit the Cueva de los Huacharos, the Clear Water Tunnels, La Cueva de las Velas, the San Francisco Lagoon, Mashuyacu and the San Juan Urificio Spa.

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