ONBOARD THE AMAMELODIA — It’s been a year since the first AmaWaterways ship began cruising Colombia’s Magdalena River, but the weekly sightings haven’t gotten old for locals, who flock to the shoreline to wave at passengers.

Adults and children alike came to the edge of Colombia’s longest river, smiling, waving and shouting as travelers do the same. Passengers and locals don’t speak the same language, but the natives’ greeting dissolved any language barrier and sent a universal message: welcome. 

That’s a far cry from what’s happening in some other destinations, where locals have sprayed water on tourists and cities have told visitors to stay away. Witnessing the excitement here, where tourism hasn’t existed for decades and communities are eager to welcome visitors, is an uncommon and exciting experience.

“The Magdalena River used to be, back in the day, the historical backbone or artery of Colombia because of its importance in the development of the country,” said Margoth Rico, co-founder of Aracanto, a travel agency based in Bogota. Rico has created post-cruise extensions for AmaWaterways clients who want to stick around and explore Colombia after the cruise. 

When roadway infrastructure came to Colombia, the Magdalena was no longer the main mode of transportation connecting the country’s interior to the coast. As it was abandoned so, too, were the riverside communities. 

But AmaWaterways made history last year when it introduced the AmaMagdalena and later the AmaMelodia, making it the first operator to offer river cruises on the Magdalena in more than 50 years. The company’s entry into Colombia has put the river on the map for cruising, expanded South America river cruise options and given intrepid travelers a new way to experience the region. 

Until last year, travelers who wanted to take a South America river cruise were limited to the Amazon. Now, they can be among the first to experience a product that few have heard about in a region relatively untouched by tourism.

And for now, AmaWaterways has the market to itself.

During my recent cruise on the AmaMelodia, the only other cruise ship we spotted was the AmaMagdalena. Otherwise, the occasional cayuco, a small fishing boat, were the only vessels we saw. We saw no other tourists, only locals. 

It’s rare, if not practically impossible, to have a river entirely to yourself while on a river cruise. But don’t expect it to stay that way for long. 

AmaWaterways co-founder and chairman Rudi Schreiner said the river can support more ships from AmaWaterways and other brands. AmaWaterways is considering a third Magdalena ship, he said, but it’s up to CEO Catherine Powell to determine if there’s enough demand for it. 

AmaWaterways initially planned to partner with Metropolitan Touring, which offers Galapagos cruises, but the partnership fell through prior to the Magdalena launch. Since then, no other line has announced plans to expand to Colombia.  

“Eventually, more will come,” Schreiner said. 

A taste of expedition

While Amazon cruises are mainly expedition-style, Magdalena River cruises fall between a traditional river cruise and an expedition cruise. Like river cruises in Europe, there are walking tours and historical experiences, in places like Mompox and Cartagena.

On the expedition side of things, there were multiple opportunities to take a smaller boat out on the river’s tributaries in search of wildlife. Other excursions focused on local communities and traditions.

When not out exploring, passengers get a luxury experience onboard the ship. But like on an expedition cruise,  passengers on the Colombia ships have access to guest lectures. 

On our cruise, a talk on Colombia’s birds complemented our bird-watching excursions. Widely recognized as the world’s “birdiest country,” Colombia is home to thousands of species, including several rare ones. 

We rose with the sun one morning, moving from the AmaMelodia to a small boat to cruise the river’s tributaries in search of birds. As the sun inched higher in the sky, egrets soared overhead. Colorful birds, like wild parakeets, delighted us. A caiman hid in the marshy growth of the river’s edge. 

“It was like a safari on water,” said Barbara Ballard-Garner, owner of 115Travel in Media, Pa. Ballard-Garner sailed the Magdalena River with clients in October on a Soulful Experience cruise, which focuses on Black history and heritage. 

Our itinerary also included Palenque, the first free town in the Americas, founded by Africans who escaped slavery in the 17th century. The town, just over an hour’s drive from Cartagena, has preserved its culture and local language — also called Palenque, a Spanish-based Creole language with African influence. 

Here, our group was immersed in the town and traditions, such as visiting a small community-run music museum to learn how drums are important to the town’s culture. 

“Everywhere you turned, they have examples of Black pride,” Ballard-Garner said. “You see how you can hold onto your culture and keep it and still embrace everything around you.”

I thought these experiences — the nature excursions, lectures and visiting towns seemingly frozen in time — would be particularly alluring for travelers who have already sailed in Europe and are interested in a new place to explore. 

The tourism balancing act

AmaWaterways’ entry into Colombia signals something important about the country’s tourism: It is worthy of luxury travel, said Rico, whose agency specializes in Colombia boutique travel. 

This, she said, is a crucial point in the destination’s evolution from a country that was marred by drug violence in the late-20th century to one with enough demand from international visitors to support a luxury travel market. 

Rico said AmaWaterways “gives the destination credibility that it’s a safe destination.” 

Maria Camila Castellanos, the U.S. executive director of ProColombia, the country’s tourism organization, said AmaWaterways’ entry not only elevated Colombia’s tourism offerings but reframed the Magdalena River as a “cultural corridor.”

Beno Atan, managing director of Colombia for AmaWaterways, said the company has been intentional about responsible development when building the product.

Atan, who is from Easter Island, said he has “always been on the other side of the communities looking at tourism,” which has impacted his approach to product development. 

“It’s not only about being the innovators and coming for the first time,” Atan said. “We also have a lot of responsibility, because when we come to places that have never experienced any type of tourism, things change, and we need to be able to also adapt.”

For example, the town of Mompox is known for its
queso de capa, or layered cheese, which AmaWaterways wanted to buy to serve on the ships. But the local makers didn’t have an invoice system, so AmaWaterways collaborated with the community’s mayor, who established a cooperative to make it easier to purchase the food from locals. 

Castellanos said the integration of communities in the tourism model has been part of the project’s DNA. 

“AmaWaterways is actively involving local families and artisans in the visitor experience, transforming traditional practices such as handmade crafts into authentic cultural encounters for international travelers,” she said. “This direct participation enables communities to transition from primarily informal or local economies into the global tourism value chain.”

As not to overwhelm communities and their burgeoning tourism, the AmaMelodia and AmaMagdalena each accommodate roughly 60 passengers, Schreiner said, making the impact relatively small. Rico said that a river cruise, which stops at port for a few hours before floating onward, leaves little trace of the visitors behind. 

Ballard-Garner hopes the government will step in to protect the communities when the river cruise industry expands in Colombia.  

In total, AmaWaterways’ two Colombia ships employ almost 200 workers and have created about 900 jobs indirectly in local communities, such as guides and drivers. 

Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways co-founder and chief brand ambassador, said she’s keenly aware that the value of the product doesn’t solely hinge on the passenger experience but on what lingers after the ship continues on its route. 

“Our success as a business needs to become a success of the communities we are working with, and only then can we make sure that the communities stand behind us and want to develop things with us,” she said. 

It seems to be working. Maranke, the second-largest town behind Cartagena in Bolivar state, is redeveloping its riverfront in a $22 million project that could provide infrastructure in order for AmaWaterways to call there, Schreiner said. 

And to better support communities in Colombia and other places AmaWaterways visits, like Africa and Asia, the river cruise line is preparing to launch a 501c3 nonprofit this year that will enable the company to aid villages. 

While in Santa Barbara de Pinto, Karst and local leaders signed a memorandum, solidifying AmaWaterways’ commitment to being a responsible steward of tourism for the community and helpful partner. 

“Thanks to AmaWaterways, Pinto has a point,” said the town’s mayor, Hegel Garizao. “It’s not just about the tourism project. It is about the children. It is about the fishermen. It is about the community.”

It turns out the “build it and they will come” strategy worked well for AmaWaterways pioneering this new cruise.

The line has sold 85% of its capacity for its Colombia ships in 2026, Karst said. And the product is attracting new clientele. Typically, river cruises draw older Americans. But this cruise is attracting a more global client, including travelers from Latin America.

As with any region that is new to tourism, the untouched quality of the destination might not be for everyone. 

Beth Schulberg, owner of Cruise and Travel Specialists in Lake Oswego, Ore., said that even though two clients enjoyed the cruise, they found it to be a challenging destination best suited for an experienced traveler who understands that tourism infrastructure along the Magdalena is under development.