The ecoregion covers the higher land on both sides of the valley of the Magdalena River in the Colombian Andes.

The river flows north between the Eastern Ranges to the east and the Central Ranges to the west, down to the Caribbean lowlands.

It has an area of about 10,515,351 hectares (25,984,000 acres).

The ecoregion encloses the Magdalena Valley dry forests ecoregion which in turn contains the upper Magdalena River, and the Magdalena-Urabá moist forests ecoregion which contains the lower Magdalena River and extends across the lowlands north of the Magdalena Valley montane forests ecoregion.

Sections of Northern Andean páramo cover the highest land beside and within the ecoregion.

To the west, the ecoregion merges into the Cauca Valley montane forests on the other side of the Cordillera Central, and to the east it merges into the Cordillera Oriental montane forests.

In the far south the ecoregion transitions into the Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests.
The ecoregion covers the higher land on both sides of the valley of the Magdalena River in the Colombian Andes.
The river flows north between the Eastern Ranges to the east and the Central Ranges to the west, down to the Caribbean lowlands.
It has an area of about 10,515,351 hectares (25,984,000 acres).
The ecoregion encloses the Magdalena Valley dry forests ecoregion which in turn contains the upper Magdalena River, and the Magdalena-Urabá moist forests ecoregion which contains the lower Magdalena River and extends across the lowlands north of the Magdalena Valley montane forests ecoregion.
Sections of Northern Andean páramo cover the highest land beside and within the ecoregion.
To the west, the ecoregion merges into the Cauca Valley montane forests on the other side of the Cordillera Central, and to the east it merges into the Cordillera Oriental montane forests.
In the far south the ecoregion transitions into the Eastern Cordillera Real montane forests.
Magdalena Valley montane forests