Magdalena

Course

north in a great valley between the two cordilleras. It reaches the coastal plain at about nine degrees north, then runs west for about 100 km (62 mi), then north again, reaching the Caribbean Sea at the city of Barranquilla in the zone known as Bocas de Ceniza.

The Magdalena River Valley was formed after a series of tectonic formed depressions that filled up with continental sediment in the Tertiary period. These sediments came from the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The Magdalena Valley, subdivided into the Upper (VSM), Middle (VMM) and Lower Magdalena Valleys (VIM), is an important area for oil exploration in Colombia.

History

Due to its geographical position in the north of South America, the Magdalena River was since precolumbian times a route towards the interior of present-day Colombia and Ecuador. Several Carib-speaking peoples such as the Panche and the Yariguí ascended through the western bank of the river, while its eastern portion was inhabited by the Muisca civilization, which called the river Yuma.

Likewise, the Spanish conquistadores who arrived to today's Colombia early in the 16th century used the river to push to the wild and mountainous inland after Rodrigo de Bastidas discovered and named the river on April 1, 1501. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the river was the only transport link communicating Bogotá with the Caribbean Sea port Cartagena de Indias and thus with Europe.

River transport and tourism

Overnight river cruising returned to the Magdalena River in 2025, marking the first regular passenger cruises since the early 1970s. AmaWaterways, in partnership with Metropolitan Touring, launched seven-night itineraries between Barranquilla and Cartagena with calls at towns such as Mompox, Magangué and Calamar. The company's first ship, AmaMagdalena, began service in April 2025, followed by sister ship AmaMelodia later that year. Multiple operators are planning to launch Magdalena River cruises in 2026 and 2027. Colombia's national tourism site highlights Magdalena River cruise experiences as part of the country's growing river tourism offerings.