Moyobamba is the oldest city in the Peruvian Amazonia. According to Garcilaso de la Vega, Tupac Yupanqui conquered the province in the name of the inca. Its foundation is attributed to spanish captain Don Juan Pérez de Guevara the 25th of July 1540 with the name Santiago de los Ocho Valles. Its name comes from the quechua Muyupampa, which means "circular plain", having been considered during the conquest as a base of operations for incursions to other areas.
Moyobamba is also known as the "City of Orchids", because it is possible to find over 3500 different species of Orchids in the outskirts of the city, and every year the ""Festival of Orchids"" is held at the end of October which is a celebration that gathers tourists from all over the world.