This Remote South American Region Is a Dream Wilderness Destination That Can Now Be Explored by River

It was 2 a.m. on our first night cruising Colombia’s Rio Magdalena when I woke up, rolled over, and saw what looked like a log in the water.

It didn’t take long to see it had eyes and to realize I had just spotted the first caiman of our seven-night adventure with AmaWaterways. Less than a minute later, an otter bobbed by. That can’t be right, I thought. Surely, they don’t have otters on this river.

Turns out they do, although the guides told me sightings are rare. Whether I was dreaming or just had incredibly good luck, the middle of the night visions turned out to be a good omen for a cruise that highlighted the best of Colombia, from its unique, diverse, and colorful culture and history to the wildlife, appealing villages, and verdant landscapes along remote stretches of this river, once a vital and central artery for trade.

Sailing the Magdalena

Luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways is the first and only company to offer sailings along the Magdalena, having launched its first vessel there, the 60-passenger AmaMagdalena, in 2025. This spring, I sailed with the company for the christening of its second ship in Colombia, the 54-passenger AmaMelodia.

These sailings mark the start of river cruising on the Magdalena, the first major inland waterway to welcome new overnight passenger sailings since companies began regularly offering them on the Mekong River in Southeast Asia some 20 years ago. As a travel journalist who has been covering the river cruise industry for years, I had been keeping tabs on this project since it was first announced in 2021, but I really had no idea how it would compare to river cruises in Europe or Asia.

The biggest surprise was how untouched the river and the communities are in this region once you get beyond the Caribbean ports of Barranquilla and Cartagena—the start and end points for the Ama itineraries—and how much fanfare there was in the villages and small cities we visited.

It was seemed as though we were the main attraction for the local communities in this remote region. After all, the only other boats we saw were small hand-carved canoes carrying fishermen. And while residents along the river are gradually becoming accustomed to seeing AmaWaterways’ two vessels pass every few days, their intrigue hasn’t yet waned. As we sailed by small riverside settlements, children would scurry to riverbanks to cheer and wave. When we docked, families would hang out around the gangway to greet us.

Courtesy of AmaWaterways

Local communities

In the age of overtourism, it was rare to feel so welcomed and to meet people seemingly eager to engage. Beyond that, each village, town, and city along the way offered a unique perspective into the history of the region.

In San Basilio de Palenque, the first free African community in the Americas founded in the 1600s by slaves who escaped from their Spanish captors in Cartagena, our local guide Isaac showed us how the African culture here has lived on through the centuries. He took us to meet ancestral healer Pedro Reyes Miranda, who let us sample some of the herbal potions that he says helped the village avoid any deaths during COVID-19. We also learned about the Palenque language, which sounds like a mix of Spanish and African dialects, toured a traditional Palenque house, and spent a little time playing their handmade drums and keyboards.

In Calamar, we rode bicycle-powered rickshaws along the riverbank and through town, where everyone we passed—from construction workers to residents on sidewalks and porches—smiled and waved. Before heading back to the boat, we were welcomed by dancers and musicians for a show at the local cultural center.

Onboard, a visiting troupe of dancers from El Banco, home of the vibrant and flirtatious Cumbia dance style that is influenced by a mix of Indigenous, African, and European traditions, put on an interactive show that included lessons for guests. In Mompox, a colonial city that is home to about 60,000 people, we toured churches and roamed historic buildings before breaking off for lessons in the art of making filigree jewelry.

In the remote Santa Barbara de Pinto, which had almost never been visited by tourists previously, villagers gave us fishing and local dance demonstrations while children flocked around us to ask us where we were from and to try out their English. And in Barranquilla, every cruise is treated to a mini Carnaval celebration on Ama’s private dock.

The real magic, however, came from the accidental encounters, glimpses into the everyday along the river, such as the couple in their colorful skirts and attire practicing Cumbia along the riverbank one afternoon, or the young boy (perhaps about eight years old), who was brought onboard to see the boat and meet the guest whose room key he had found on the street after it slipped out of her pocket.

To call the trip a cultural immersion doesn’t quite encapsulate the experience. A more accurate assessment might be a cultural exchange, and one that AmaWaterways cofounder Kristin Karst says includes philanthropic efforts to ensure that its success as a business enterprise will benefit what she calls the “lost villages” along this vast river.

While we were in Santa Barbara de Pinto, for instance, the company signed a letter of intent with the village school to help develop after-school programs such as English lessons. And all along the river, Karst says the line is working with the communities to help fund infrastructure improvements, education, and environmental protection projects.

Photo by Matyas Rehak/Shutterstock

The wildlife

Another unique aspect of the Rio Magdalena is the mix of culture and nature. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, and the Magdalena offers great opportunities for bird and other wildlife spotting.

Some days we were immersed in local cultures. Others were spent getting up close and personal to flora and fauna on small excursion boats.

We met up with local fishermen who showed us not only the variety of fish in the waters but also how they cast their nets for maximum hauls from their small canoes. We also motored past herds of water buffalo grazing along the shore as well as small farms and settlements with clapboard houses on stilts.

A highlight was the day we went for sunrise and sunset cruises through narrow tributaries teeming with birds—Colombia is home to more than 1,900 bird species, more than any other country in the world—caimans, and howler monkeys.

Courtesy of AmaWaterways

The AmaMelodia

Here, the AmaWaterways vessels offer the same luxury that has made the brand a favorite on Europe’s rivers, only with a more intimate, casual, and purely Colombian twist.

The decor incorporates local wood, textiles, and colorful regional art and furniture. What really makes it shine, however, are the crew and food. As on the company’s other ships, the food and wine is all locally sourced. Every meal created by our Colombian chef, Alejandro Castillo, and served in the single Journeys Restaurant was a new treat. There was always an ample mix of choices among international favorites and local dishes such as ceviche, cazuela (seafood stew), and Colombian staple bandeja paisa, a plate served with rice, ground beef, fried egg, sweet plantains, chorizo, and avocado.

All the cabins have the brand’s trademark twin balconies—one step-out balcony alongside an indoor French balcony area that can be used in inclement weather. Staterooms range from 237-square-foot cabins with two twin beds to 275-square-foot junior suites and 306-square-foot luxury suites with one larger queen-size bed (there are two of each category of suites).

On the upper sundeck there is a smattering of tables, couches, and loungers along with ample shade, fans, and a sweet little pool where passengers can take a dip to beat the heat.

AmaWaterways’ vision for the Magdalena

Launching on the Magdalena marked the culmination of a passion project for Karst and her husband, AmaWaterways cofounder, former CEO, and now board chairman Rudi Schreiner.

Schreiner says the Magdalena has long been on his list of rivers around the globe with cruising potential, and he opted to develop this South American river over the Peruvian Amazon, where a growing number of travel companies are sailing.

While some of other tour operators, including Abercrombie & Kent and Metropolitan Touring, have looked at joining AmaWaterways on the Magdalena, the obstacles to developing the boats and the infrastructure have so far proved too challenging. Indeed, the AmaWaterways project was fraught with delays. But the tenacious Schreiner refused to give up.

And as we sailed into the sunset on the eve of AmaMelodia’s christening ceremony, the smile on his face made it clear he had no regrets. “It turned out even better than I expected,” he said.

To book: AmaWaterways offers seven-night sailings along the Magdalena River in two directions, from Cartagena to Barranquilla and from Barranquilla to Cartagena, starting at $2,999 per person, based on double occupancy.