Rioja Province: Nature, Caves and Culture

Rioja Province offers several distinct travel interests: geological features, bird and hummingbird watching, and cultural insights. The destinations mentioned are located in different districts: Cueva de Palestina is in Nueva Cajamarca, Sendero Royal Sunangel in Pardo Miguel, and Cascada Urkuchaki in Elías Soplín Vargas District. To plan your trip, it helps to choose a theme first, then take the location of each destination into account.

Karst Cave and Birdwatching

Cueva de Palestina is in Nueva Cajamarca District, in Rioja Province, within the Naciente Río Negro Conservation and Restoration Zone. The karst cave is made of limestone and Triassic-Jurassic sedimentary deposits, and is more than 60 million years old. This destination is therefore primarily of geological interest.

Sendero Royal Sunangel is in Pardo Miguel District, in Rioja Province, and within Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo. Wooden infrastructure serves bird and hummingbird watching in the gardens; there is also a trail about five kilometers long. In addition to the trail itself, you will find a clearly defined focus on observation here.

Cultural Insights

At the entrance to Bosque de las Nuwas, Awajún women welcome visitors with songs and speeches in the Awajún language, wearing traditional clothing. Museo Etnográfico Toé offers a different cultural perspective: a collection of old and traditional objects preserves the memory, history and folklore of Rioja and the San Martín region in an Amazonian context. For planning your trip, these perspectives differ in focus—the welcome at the entrance to Bosque de las Nuwas and the museum’s collection.

Route to Cascada Urkuchaki

The final stretch from Nueva Zelandia to Cascada Urkuchaki follows a two-kilometer footpath and takes approximately 50 minutes. As access conditions may change, check them before your trip.

San Martín as the Wider Regional Context

The wider travel destination of San Martín provides the regional context. Destino Turístico Alto Mayo is in the northern part of the Department of San Martín and includes the provinces of Moyobamba and Rioja. Destino Turístico Tarapoto is in the central part and includes the provinces of San Martín and Lamas; Destino Turístico Abiseo is in the southern central part and includes Mariscal Cáceres Province.

Within the wider travel destination of San Martín, Morro de Calzada is a natural viewpoint offering a 360-degree panoramic view and limestone formations in the Río Mayo valley. Visitors can hike there to observe the local flora and fauna. At Naciente del río Tío Yacu, crystal-clear waters form pools and small waterfalls where visitors can swim. A different water-based experience is offered by the Aguas Termales de San Mateo thermal bath complex: it has seven pools with temperatures of approximately 32 to 40 °C. Opening hours and services may change; check them in advance.

Discover more destinations: Rioja, Picota Province, Sauce, Moyobamba Province.

For the wider travel overview: San Martín.