The Republic of Colombia occupies mostly South American territory, but also has some territory in North America. It has some of the finest emeralds and tropical landscapes in the world and is home to some of the most lucrative ports on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. These ports facilitate trade and commerce with North American and other Pacific nations, as well as their South American counterparts. Colombia is the only country in South America with access to the Pacific and Caribbean trade routes.
Here are the top five ports in Colombia:
Puerto barranquilla
Located near the mouth of the Magdalena River along Colombia's Caribbean coast, the port is one of the most modern liquid bulk facilities in the county. The Palermo Tank Terminal is located on the port premises and has a capacity of 352,000 barrels of refined oil and crude oil.
The terminal has two storage tanks, infrastructure for easy loading and unloading of bulk liquids, and a dock for handling ships. The long-term vision for the port is to hold 2.5 million barrels of liquid substances, from bitumen to petrochemicals and vegetable oils.
Port of cartagena
Locally known as the Port of Cartagena, but officially it is called the Port of Cartagena. It is home to large cruise ships that transport passengers to the city of Cartagena, as well as larger ships carrying general cargo and other import and export cargo. As the fourth largest port in Colombia, it has the capacity to handle 80% of the region's imports and 60% of its exports. The agricultural activity in Colombia's Murcia region is intensive, providing more than 2.5 billion euros worth of fruits and vegetables, most of which pass through this port.
The port has two main terminals, 1.5 miles from each other by sea and 5 kilometers by road. The marinas are Escombreras and Cartagena. Because the port is a deep-water bay and is not affected by wind, currents are weak. It has the Compas terminal in the El Bosque district and the contecar terminal in the Ceballos district. Both handle dry bulk, liquid bulk, containers, breakbulk and some cruise traffic.
Puerto santa marta
The port is operated by the Santa Marta Ports Association and is located on Colombia's Caribbean coast. It consists of seven terminals and provides rail services to facilitate the loading and unloading of goods through the port. It is Colombia's main port on the maritime trade route to the Intra-Atlantic.
The port handles many types of cargo, from palm oil to fuel and carbon as well as grains and containers. One of the port's greatest strengths is its ability to cater to post-Panamax carriers with high cubic cargo. In terms of bulk cargoes from Colombia, the port has the third highest traffic volume.
Puerto tumaco
The Port of Tumaco is located in the city of Tumaco on the Pacific coast. The premises have berthing facilities to handle dry and liquid bulk cargoes passing through the port. It also has a marine terminal that handles the country's exported crude oil. The port of Tumaco is well connected by road and plane to the surrounding area, including the Colombian capital, Bogota and the western city of Cali.
Bananas grown in the Pacific lowlands enter the port for export, but are mainly used as a terminal for crude oil from the Putamayo field, about 160 kilometers southeast of the port. It is also a major fishing port promoting the export of tuna and sardines. The nearby airport makes it a popular port for importing delicate, time-sensitive goods and products as they reach the hinterland faster.
Puerto buenaventura
This is a seaport in front of the Columbia Pacific Ocean. It also happens to be the country's main port of call in the Pacific region. The port, also located in Tumaco, is a veritable "good luck" that has been a boon for the Colombian economy due to the volume of bulk cargoes it handles. The Port of Buenaventura has direct trade routes to Asian markets, which are starting to become as lucrative as the U.S. and European markets.
The port generates 27% of Colombia's total customs revenue. It is able to attract investment and trade because of its proximity to Mexico and Chile, and access to markets in Southeast Asia and beyond. Considering the city was once one of the deadliest due to the widespread cocaine wars in the port, the rebranding of Buenaventura into a growing center of trade and commerce is impressive.
