Information about the city Rioja
Rioja is the capital of Rioja Province in the San Martín Region in northern Peru. It is situated to the west of Moyobamba. There are 24,263 inhabitants according to the 2007 census.
The town is 848 metres above sea level and has a semi-humid subtropical climate. During the period of the Incas, the Rioja Province was inhabited by two tribes, the Uquihuas and the Chepenes. At the end of the 16th century, one of the first Catholic missionaries arrived at Uquihua.
Rioja was founded in September, 1782 and was originally named Santo Toribio de la Nueva Rioja. Rioja is situated in the valley of the upper Mayo River in the north of the San Martín Region. Its coordinates are longitude 77°08’30” and latitude 06º03’00”.
The peaks surrounding Rioja exceed 1,000 metres above sea level. The average temperature is 22.5°C. with actual temperatures varying between 16.5°C and 28.4°C.
Information about the city Piura
Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 377,496. It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the third Spanish city in South America and first in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in July 1532. Piura declared its independence from Spain on 4 January 1821.
Piura has a desert and semi-desert climate on the coast and the western slopes of the Andes, whereas on the eastern slopes the climate is subtropical. Precipitation is sparse except during El Niño events, when rainfall is abundant and water flows through normally dry watercourses, causing flooding and large-scale land movements.
One of the best-known tourist attractions in Piura is La Esmeralda beach, known as Colan for it is located near the town of Colan. Colan beach is a very long beach with warm waters. Local people like to go there during holidays. There are also great spots for surfers, like Mancora Beach and Cabo Blanco.
Piura is host to a stunning mestizo culture (one of the oldest in South America, Piura is the third Spanish city founded on that continent) most famous for gastronomical dishes like Seco de chabelo, algarrobina-based drinks, many types of seafood and fish, like ceviche and Natilla Sweets. Popular crafts are the Chulucana Pottery and Catacaos is famous for its "Hats" and "Silversmith" arts. The small town of Simbila, is very popular for its handcrafts and pottery. The tondero and cumanana are the traditional music of mestizo Piura and northern parts of Lambayeque. There are also several famous Peruvian Waltz that came from these regions (northern Peruvians have their own style).
