February 21 – March 4, 2028 · A Magdalena River cruise, Cartagena and the Panama Canal · Hosted by Werner & Myra Kurn
Reserve your placeSee the day-by-dayBegin in Cartagena, the jewel of Colombia’s Caribbean coast, with two nights inside the walled city. Then board the intimate, 64-guest AmaMelodia for seven nights on the magnificent Magdalena River, from Cartagena to Barranquilla.
Along the way, meet the people of Palenque, the first free town in the Americas, wander colonial Mompox, watch traditional crafts in riverside villages and finish with an exclusive Carnaval celebration. We end with three nights in Panama City, with a full day at the Panama Canal and a visit to an Emberá village in the rainforest.
Werner and Myra Kurn travel with the group in person. They have been planning and hosting Ocean Enterprises Travel trips since 1979, and they pick every destination themselves.
All excursions and accommodations are subject to change and availability.
Arrive in Cartagena, capital of the Bolívar region on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, and take a short taxi to the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara. In the afternoon, a local guide leads a walking tour of the historic walled city, from the cathedral to the stone walls built to keep out pirates.
Choose a guided visit to the UNESCO-listed San Felipe Castle, the fortress that defended Cartagena from French and British attacks, or the Gold Museum’s pre-Hispanic treasures and the Caribbean Naval Museum. Back at the hotel around noon, with the rest of the day free.
Tour Cartagena’s famous vaults, once Spanish headquarters and a prison, now galleries and shops. Board AmaMelodia for lunch, then explore the colorful, street-art-filled Getsemaní neighborhood before dinner on board.
Dock at Mahates for San Basilio de Palenque, founded by people who escaped slavery and freed by royal decree in 1713. UNESCO recognizes its traditions as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Visit a local home and enjoy a music performance, then cruise to Calamar and tour it by paola, a bicycle taxi for two.
Explore the wild Boca de Tacaloa by small excursion boat, looking for birds found only in this part of Colombia. Then cruise on to the island town of Mompox, where local musicians welcome you with an exclusive jazz performance.
Founded in 1540, Mompox looks much as it did in colonial days. Tour the town by tuk-tuk and on foot, visit a filigree jewelry workshop, taste local capa cheese and butifarra, and look for birds in the surrounding wetlands at sunrise or sunset.
Cruise one of the most beautiful stretches of the Magdalena through the La Mojana region, learn the story of cumbia, and enjoy an exclusive cumbia performance by local dancers in the evening.
A private boat excursion to Santa Bárbara de Pinto on the Mompox arm of the river: watch fishing nets being woven and tobacco rolled by hand, visit the historic church and shop for local crafts, or join a guided nature hike. Then scenic cruising to Sitio Nuevo.
Visit a riverside village near Sitio Nuevo, where fishing families live in colorful wooden houses built on stilts over the water. Continue to Barranquilla, where the Magdalena meets the Caribbean, for an exclusive traditional Carnaval celebration.
Disembark and fly to Panama City. Visit the Biomuseo on the Amador Causeway, lunch at Bucaneros, then check in to the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo and walk the historic Casco Antiguo, from Plaza de Francia to the Metropolitan Cathedral.
A full day at one of the world’s engineering marvels: the Panama Canal Administration Building, a boat expedition on Gatun Lake in search of tropical birds and monkeys, lunch at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort and a private tour of a canal visitor center.
Travel by piragua, a traditional canoe, through the rainforest near Chagres National Park to an Emberá Quera village, for a traditional lunch, ritual dances, music and handcrafts.
Fly home from Panama City.
A historic luxury hotel in a beautifully restored 17th-century convent in the heart of the walled city, with lush courtyards, four restaurants, a French-inspired spa and a fitness center.
An intimate 64-guest river ship with three decks, a sun-deck pool, bar, fitness center and massage room. Every stateroom has two balconies (a French balcony and an outside balcony), a sitting area, safe, mini-fridge and individually controlled air conditioning.
A five-star oceanfront hotel in the historic Casco Viejo district. Magnifique King rooms have soaring ceilings and French doors to a balcony, and the hotel has several restaurants, the Ammi rooftop bar and the Sofitel Spa.
Per person, double occupancy, by AmaMelodia stateroom category. Every stateroom has twin balconies.
| Category | Deck | Size | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category C | Salsa Deck | 237 sq ft | $8,795 |
| Category B | Salsa Deck | 237 sq ft | $9,695 |
| Category A | Cumbia Deck | 237 sq ft | $10,095 |
| Junior Suite | Salsa Deck | 275 sq ft | $10,995 |
| Luxury Suite | Cumbia Deck | 306 sq ft | $11,795 |
International flights; taxis from Cartagena airport to the hotel and from the Panama City hotel to the airport; drinks outside mealtimes; spa services; optional excursions; personal expenses.
AmaMelodia has just 32 staterooms. Send us a request and we’ll be in touch to hold yours, or call us any time.
858-565-9474