A river nobody would have cruised five years ago
The Magdalena crosses Colombia from south to north, from the Andes to the
Caribbean. It was the country's artery for a long time, then it stopped being
navigable for tourism for decades, for reasons everyone knows. AmaMagdalena is the
line's first cruise ship to sail it, since 2025.
That is what makes the destination interesting and what must be said plainly:
you will not be joining a circuit run in for thirty years. You will be on a river
where the tourist infrastructure is still being built, where calls often turn on
one thing done well, and where the unexpected is part of the product. Those who
like that love it. Those who want a well-oiled machine will be better served on
the Rhine.
A small ship
Sixty-eight metres, 60 guests, 30 cabins, with as many crew as guests. It is
the smallest hull in the fleet after the Nile ships. Every cabin has the line's
twin balcony.
Our count on 26 August 2026 found 55 departure dates, between Barranquilla and
Cartagena, running both ways.
What you will see
Fishing villages, tropical wetland wildlife, Mompox and its colonial
architecture preserved because the river changed course and the town fell asleep.
Cartagena, at the end or the start of the route, is one of the finest walled
cities in the Americas.
The other ships in the fleet
AmaMelodia is the line's second ship on this river. AmaDara serves the Mekong, AmaLilia and AmaDahlia
the Nile.
What is included, and the two things that are not
Included: accommodation, all meals, wine and beer at meals, soft drinks at
any time, a daily cocktail, guided excursions at every port, Wi-Fi, and
bicycles aboard the European ships.
Not included: gratuities and air travel. Gratuities are included on none of
the line's destinations, not in Europe, not on the Mekong, not on the Nile, not
in Colombia. The suggested amount changes from one destination to another; the
rule does not. That is a real difference from several river lines in the same
category, and it belongs in the budget from the start rather than being
discovered at disembarkation.
The flight is booked separately or through the line's air programme. Your
advisor will tell you what each arrangement covers.
The clientele aboard
Adult, with no youth programme and no childcare. Under-eighteens share a
cabin with a responsible adult, and the minimum age changes by destination:
stricter in Africa than in Europe. A family with young children will be better
served elsewhere, and it is better to hear that now.
On access, the lift serves the main decks and stops short of the sun deck.
Boarding gangways vary with the quay, and you sometimes cross a ship moored
alongside to get ashore. Raise your mobility before booking rather than
after.
The Quebec framework
Voyages AquaTerra holds a licence from Quebec's Office de la protection du
consommateur. Your payments go into a trust account, and the Compensation Fund
for Customers of Travel Agents covers the situations set out in the Travel
Agents Act, including a supplier's failure. The cover has defined limits, best
explained to you before you pay a deposit.
Allow a connection, often two on distant itineraries, and a hotel night
before embarkation. That night is not a luxury: it is the margin that absorbs a
delayed flight.
