Discover Moyobamba

Moyobamba is home to cultural collections, lively festival traditions and a remarkable variety of orchids. It also has excursion destinations offering views of the Río Mayo and the Alto-Mayo Valley. Depending on whether you want to focus on the city’s history, plants or nature experiences, you can shape your stay in different ways.

Culture at the Museum and on the Plaza

The Museo Departamental San Martín is dedicated to the Indigenous peoples Awajún, Shawi and Kichwa de Lamas. Objects and clothing from these peoples are on display in nine exhibition rooms. Other collections include traditional pottery and burial urns from Chazuta, as well as vessels and textiles from expeditions to Gran Pajatén and Gran Saposoa. This brings together different cultural artifacts and collection areas, rather than focusing on just one period or group of objects.

The museum also has a spacious lounge with Amazonian murals by contemporary artists and a departmental library. The museum is open Monday to Friday and on the first Sunday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. It closes for lunch between these two time slots.

The Plaza de Armas de Moyobamba is an important cultural landmark in the city. You can admire and photograph its buildings. At its center is an illuminated ornamental fountain with jets of water and sculptures of women carrying water. The design refers to the orchid species Cattleya máxima and connects a distinctive feature of the plaza with the region’s plant life.

Festival traditions and local cuisine

The plaza is the main venue for Corpus Christi, the Semana Turística de Moyobamba and the city’s founding anniversary. Flag-raising ceremonies, parades and concerts are also held there. The Semana Turística is a long-standing festival rooted in local customs and associated with San Juan and San Pedro. It includes Pandilla performances involving city neighborhoods as well as public and private organizations.

Regional cuisine also has its own place at the Semana Turística: the program includes a competition featuring Juane dishes. Visitors interested in festival culture can find several different forms of expression here, from group performances to a culinary competition. The plaza and its events offer a different perspective on Moyobamba from the museum exhibitions.

Orchids and plants

At the Vivero Orquídeas Amazónicas, visitors can see orchids on a tour. The nursery displays various orchid species and ornamental plants and is one of the city’s most representative nurseries. It also offers orchids in vitro, orchid substrate and flower pots. This makes a visit interesting both for people who want to look at plants and for those who want to learn more about orchids.

Nature experiences in the district

In the district, the Reserva Ecológica Tingana offers canoe trips on the Río Avisado and ecological walks through plots growing coffee, pitahaya and vanilla. These experiences offer different perspectives: on the water, you explore the area by canoe; on foot, the route passes through cultivated plots. Tingana also offers regional dishes and innovative Amazonian food made with vanilla and native tubers.

The Aguas Termales de San Mateo thermal complex, with seven pools, is also located in the district. The water temperatures range from approximately 32°C to 40°C. Separate from these are the Aguas Sulfurosas de Oromina: on the slopes of Cerro Oromina, two springs produce sulfur-rich water at 8°C, forming two pools with clear hues. Visitors can bathe in the sulfur-rich pools and observe orchids and other plants.

Views of the river and valley

In the district, the Mirador Punta de Tahuishco offers a 180-degree view of the Río Mayo, lush vegetation and forest. You can also spot birds and primates there, including the Mono Tocón. This viewpoint is listed as having free access all day. Nearby Moyobamba is the 575-meter-high Morro de Calzada. From its natural 360-degree panorama, you can see Moyobamba and Rioja in the Alto-Mayo Valley. The viewpoints offer different perspectives: Punta de Tahuishco looks out over the river, forest and wildlife, while Morro de Calzada offers a wider view of the valley.

If you’d like to discover more places on your trip, you can also find Puerto Franco, Chazuta, Cuñumbuque, Tarapoto, Leimebamba, Lamas and La Florida here.

For the broader travel overview: San Martín.