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A wide river merges into the Caribbean Sea under a sky dotted with fluffy clouds, as vegetation clings to the edges of a long canal-like embankment

Barranquilla, Colombia

Barranquilla, the fourth largest city in Colombia (a metropolitan area of less than two million) is not a coastal city, yet as you can see very close to the Caribbean. The north side of Barranquilla with a little rise in elevation is the best part of town and dense with many apartment high-rises. There has been a building boom in Barranquilla for over ten years. The city is adjacent to the west side of the Magdalena River which crosses almost 1,000 miles through Colombia. Barranquilla has a dry season from December to May. The wind also picks-up during this time making it dustier and nosier. On most days of the year, the view is not clear due to haze and blowing dirt. Air-condition is needed at night since the temperature only drops to the high 70s. Barranquilla is an industrial and port city with very limited touristic interest. However, there are many short-trip getaways. Going east across the new Pumarejo bridge you reach mountains and beautiful beaches within two to four hours. Going west you enjoy Cartagena and Caribbean islands also within two to four hours. North takes you to the mouth of the Magdalena River and a strip of land that extends to where the river meets the sea. A rail cart can take you close to the tip, it is best to sit on the opposite end of the loud and smoky motor. If you go south, well you're likely lost, only the adventuress travel the hot, swampy, isolated, pasture and agricultural lands of the campesinos. Many of the photos here represent Barranquilla on rare clear days. Including a rare view of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta from Barranquilla, which is only about two hours away, yet rarely seen due to haze or cloud cover. The remaining photos are of Malecon (river walkway), the Salgar Castle, architectures and churches of Barranquilla.

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A dramatic view of central Barranquilla’s high-rise buildings rising behind marshes, palm trees, and urban greenery

The skyline of Barranquilla glows faintly in the distance beneath a hazy sunset, seen from afar across rolling green forested hills

View across the Magdalena River showing the dense skyline of Barranquilla with industrial tanks and lush foreground vegetation

A sunlit panorama of Barranquilla with yellow taxis, commercial buildings, and the Caribbean Sea on the horizon

A panoramic view of Barranquilla’s skyline with the distant snow-covered Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains rising dramatically beyond the cityscape

A patchy wetland with palm trees and green scrub leads to the southern skyline of Barranquilla under a thick layer of cumulus clouds

North-central Barranquilla under cloudy skies

Industrial fuel tanks and facilities in the foreground with the full Barranquilla skyline stretching across the background.

Riverside view with a dirt path beside the Magdalena River and Barranquilla's skyline visible across the water

A dense skyline of modern high-rises in northern Barranquilla appears in the distance beneath a dramatic sky, seen from a rural path bordered by green brush and the Magdalena River

A wide view of central Barranquilla reveals colorful houses and leafy trees, with taller buildings rising in the background beneath dramatic clouds

Barranquilla's skyline from the distance

A woman smiling and seated on a rocky coastal bluff in Salgar with turquoise waves and a long beach coastline in the background

A dramatic coastal cliff with a yellow colonial-style building perched above the ocean at Salgar, near Barranquilla

The strip of land that leads to the mouth of the Magdalena river with the sea in the foreground

Vegetation growing on the Magdalena river with Barranquilla high-rises in the background

A modern riverside promenade with decorative benches, artistic lighting, and a calm view of the Magdalena River

The iconic yellow neoclassical building of the Customs Administration in Barranquilla with palm trees and a Colombian flag

Estacion Montoya offices and courtyard statue

A restored colonial-era blue and white building known as the Fluvial Customs House, featuring large windows and neoclassical design

The brightly colored facade of San Nicolás Church with twin red-and-white towers and arched doorways surrounded by tropical plants

A neo-Gothic style church with pointed towers and ornate arched windows under a bright blue sky in Barranquilla

Spanish colonial hotel decor of Hotel Prado