Barranquillo, Magdalena River Mouth, Colombia October 1995 The mouth of the sediment-laden Magdalena River and Colombia’s chief port, Barranquillo, can be seen in this south-southeast-looking view. The river’s sediment plume extends many miles out into the southwest Caribbean Sea (bottom half of the image). The Magdalena links the interior highlands with the coastal lowlands of Colombia. Barranquillo with a population of well over a million people, is located on the west bank of the river, and has large chemical factories and cement works, along with shipbuilding and textile facilities.