When I first heard AmaWaterways was launching a river cruise in Colombia, I was intrigued but skeptical. South America isn’t a region I’ve spent much time in and this itinerary is totally different from anything else in river cruising right now. But the more I read about it – especially a recent blog post from Ama – the more I realized this is exactly the kind of trip I want to do next.

It’s not a Greatest Hits cruise. You’re not hitting bucket-list European cities or castles perched on cliffs. You’re going to places most of us probably couldn’t point to on a map – villages and towns where river cruising hadn’t existed for decades, places where the culture hasn’t been polished up for tourists. And that’s what makes it feel exciting.

From Cartagena to Barranquilla

From what I’ve read so far, especially in Ama’s guest blog post, this is the kind of cruise where no two days feel the same. One morning you’re touring Palenque, learning about the town’s history as the first free Black community in the Americas. Later that day, you might be riding in a paola, a bike taxi, through the streets of Calamar.

In Magangué, you’ll go on a nature tour through a wild, almost otherworldly part of the river. In Mompox, you explore colonial architecture, take a tuk-tuk tour through town and visit a workshop where artisans still handcraft filigree jewelry (delicate silver pieces made with twisted wire). You’ll also find local snacks like butifarra (a garlicky pork sausage served with lime and yuca). I’ll absolutely be tracking those down.

There are floating villages like Nueva Venecia, riverside communities like Santa Barbara de Pinto where you meet local artisans, and a full Carnaval celebration in Barranquilla before the cruise ends. And I love that Ama is bringing local music and dance onboard throughout the journey as part of how they’re telling Colombia’s story.

Plus, and I know this sounds silly, the fruit. Everyone keeps talking about the fruit. In the blog post I mentioned, one guest said the pineapple was so good she wouldn’t be able to eat it back home again. That alone might sell me. Or ruin me. Only one way to find out.

The Ship Still Looks Like Ama

Even though this is a totally different itinerary, the ship, AmaMagdalena, still looks like Ama. Small, well-designed and familiar in all the right ways. There’s a sun deck, a pool, yoga classes. One guest said villagers were yelling to each other that the ship was coming. It was as exciting for them as it was for the cruisers. I don’t know why that stuck with me, but it did.

I Didn’t Think I Wanted To Cruise Colombia, Now I Can’t Stop Thinking About It

If you’ve done a lot of river cruising, or even just followed it closely, you know it’s rare to see something new. Not new as in “refreshed itinerary” but actually new. New region, new energy, new kind of experience.

And Ama had to do a lot to make this cruise possible in the first place. This wasn’t a matter of picking a new river and calling it a day. They had to build this itinerary from the ground up. That meant working with local governments and communities to construct docks, develop landing points, design smaller excursion boats and train local teams. The ship itself was even built in Colombia.

They’re not just operating in the region, they’re investing in it. And as someone who’s spent years exploring river cruising as it already exists, I’m really interested in seeing what it looks like when a company helps create something entirely new.

I didn’t think Colombia would be next on my list but now, I can’t imagine skipping it.