Barranquilla Colombia

Barranquilla is a major Caribbean port and the capital city of Colombia's Atlantico Department. By population (around 1,2 million) the city is ranked Colombia's 4th-largest (following Bogota, Medellin, Cali). Puerto Barranquilla (locode COBAQ) is Colombia's 3rd-largest by annual cargo shipping volume - following Puerto Bolivar and Buenaventura/principal port, and in the top-5 is followed by Cartagena and Santa Marta. Puerto Bolivar/Guajira is a private coal export terminal but is still Colombia's largest port by cargo traffic.

Port Barranquilla is privately-owned (by Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla SA) and in very close proximity to Magdalena River's delta, at just ~8 km (5 mi) to the north from the river's mouth at the Caribbean Sea.

Barranquilla Port has the capacity to accommodate all types of marine vessels, including large container ships, cargo carriers (dry, liquid, breakbulk), tankers, and passenger ships (cruisers). Main imports include chemicals, scrap metals, food products. Main exports include pharmaceuticals, textiles, sugar. The Port handles annually ~900 vessels, ~100,000 TEUs/containers, ~3,3 million tons of cargo.

Due to its strategic location, Barranquilla developed as Magdalena's principal/largest river port and also as the economic hub of the Atlantico Department (1905-created). The Barranquilla Metro (population around 2,4 million) also groups four municipalities/suburbs (Soledad, Galapa, Malambo, Puerto Colombia).

The city is served by Ernesto Cortissoz Airport (in Soledad). Opened in 1919, this was South America's first airport. The facility is used by commercial, cargo and military aircraft, and has a Passenger Terminal (2020-renovated) and a separate Cargo Terminal (sized 9000 m2/~96900 ft2, with a loading dock with capacity 2x planes simultaneously). Cargo flights (by the Colombian airlines Aerosucre, Avianca Cargo, and LATAM Cargo Colombia) link to Bogota and Medellin, as well as to Europe (Amsterdam Holland, and Madrid Spain). Regularly scheduled commercial flights connect Barranquilla with domestic destinations (Bogota, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cucuta, Medellin, Monteria, Valledupar, San Andres Island) as well as with Dominicana (Santo Domingo), Curacao (Willemstad), Panama City, Florida USA (Fort Lauderdale, Miami).

The settlement was founded in the early-17th-century, while the town was officially established in the early-19th-century (1813). Initially, the town grew mainly due to the inflow of European immigrants, and especially after both World Wars (1914-18 and 1939-45), when on Transatlantic liners arrived also immigrants from Asia and the Middle East. In the 1940s, Barranquilla became Colombia's second-largest city (after the capital Bogota) and one of the most modern in South America. However, widespread corruption in local administrations brought a decline in the city's economy and lifestyle.

The current-day city's economy is mainly based on manufacturing industries (pharmaceutical products, chemicals, construction materials, cement, plastics, furniture, shoes, clothes), food processing (vegetable oils, dairy products, soft drinks), commerce, finances, logistics, commercial fishing.

Pumarejo Bridge (over Magdalena River) is Colombia's longest (length ~1,5 km / 0,9 mi). In 2010 was opened the Transmetro (mass transit system based on exclusive bus lanes and stations) with daily capacity ~110000 passengers.

Starting four days before Ash Wednesday, the annual Carnaval de Barranquilla is Colombia's largest folkloric (traditional music and dance) festival and one of the world's biggest.

As cruise port, Barranquilla was included in AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages' Caribbean schedules 2022 (ship World Navigator) and 2023 (ship World Traveller). AOV's itineraries included an overnight stay in Barranquilla.

AmaWaterways is the first major cruise brand to operate on the Magdalena River in Colombia. For a year-round deployment, the company long-term chartered two newbuild boats from Metropolitan Touring (1968-founded, Quito Ecuador-based travel company, tour operator and shipowner), both debuting in 2024 - AmaMagdalena (April) and AmaMelodia (June).

On Magdalena River, AmaWaterways operates two 7-night itineraries themed "Magic Colombia" (from Barranquilla to Cartagena de Indias) and the reverse "Wonders of Colombia" (from Cartagena to Barranquilla).

Next are listed the call ports/events part of the "Wonders of Colombia" itinerary.

• (DAY 1) Cartagena (EMBARKATION, tour of Getsemani neighborhood)
• (DAY 2) San Basilio de Palenque and Calamar
• (DAY 3) Santa Barbara de Pinto (walking tour) and Santa Cruz de Mompox (overnight)
• (DAY 4) Mompox (Cienaga de Pijino lake expedition, walking tour) second overnight
• (DAY 5) Mompox, cruising through La Mojana, El Banco (walking tour, ashore dinner and Cumbia musical and dance performance)
• (DAY 6) Magangue (birdwatching tour or Cienega hiking tour), cruising to Nueva Venecia
• (DAY 7) Nueva Venecia (tour to a stilt-house/lake village), cruising to Barranquilla (Carnaval de Barranquilla-themed small dockside event)
• (DAY 8) Barranquilla (DISEMBARKATION)

When announced in 2023, AmaWaterways' Colombia voyages were priced from USD 3600 (EUR 3410 / GBP 3030) per person with double occupancy, or ~US$515 pp per night. The fares are inclusive of guided tours (walking, cycling) as well as wildlife/birdwatching land and boat expeditions. Pre- and post-cruise programming (land tours/excursions, and hotel stays) are optional and cost extra.

AmaWaterways offers pre-cruise packages in Medellin (3-night) or Cartagena (2-night), plus a 5-night combo (Medellin plus Cartagena). These packages are combinable with a post-cruise/3-night package in Panama City (includes a visit to Panama Canal's Gatun Lake/Miraflores Locks and Chagres NP) to a 2-week/15-night vacation package.