Celebrity Race Across The World - Last Frontiers View

The teams started their race from Half Moon Beach on Isla Mujeres, a secluded spot popular for turtle nesting. After handing in their phones and credit cards, they set off to the first checkpoint of Flores, a colourful island city on Lake Petén Itzá and the gateway to the magnificent Maya site of Tikal.

The teams took a variety of routes, the quickest being to Chetumal and across the border into Belize where they even had time to visit the spectacular Maya ruins of Lamanai on the New River. Other teams opted to stay within Mexico longer, travelling through cultural hubs like Mérida and the chilli-producing regions of Campeche before crossing into Guatemala further west.

The journey to Flores required resourceful navigation, with one team even experiencing a bus breakdown in Belize City before finally reaching the checkpoint.

Anita Rani and her dad, Bal, reached the checkpoint first, arriving nearly a full day (23 hours) ahead of the other teams.

Our Yucatan sample itinerary takes in the highlights of the Yucatan peninsula and can easily be combined with Belize and Guatemala.

https://www.lastfrontiers.com/itineraries/mexico-yucatan

Setting off from Flores, the teams were tasked with a journey south to the second checkpoint in El Zonte, El Salvador.

The route choices for this leg were diverse, with teams debating whether to traverse the mountainous heartland of Guatemala, pass through southern Belize's Caribbean coast (with one team visiting Hopkins Beach), or venture into Honduras.

While some teams aimed for the central Guatemalan city of Cobán, their progress was notably halted by local protests, forcing them to find creative ways to continue. One pair spent some time in the colonial town of Antigua, Guatemala, while another found themselves working on a cocoa farm in Honduras.

El Salvador is an emerging destination with stunning volcanoes, ancient Maya sites and a long stretch of Pacific coastline. The teams headed for El Zonte, a small but popular coastal community. A surfing hot-spot, it has earned the nickname “Bitcoin Beach” for its early adoption of the cryptocurrency as a recognised payment method. The area, with its volcanic black sand beaches and consistent waves, offers a relaxed haven for visitors.

Anita and Bal were the first team to arrive at the checkpoint again, although their lead was reduced to 3.5 hours over Ronan and Harley in second place. The other teams were not far behind.

El Salvador is well worth visiting and we have prepared a sample itinerary which takes in the highlights of the country.

https://lastfrontiers.com/itineraries/classic-el-salvador

From the Pacific coast of El Salvador, the race continued into Honduras. The third checkpoint, marking the halfway point of the race, was revealed to be Valle de Ángeles, a charming former 16th-century silver mining town nestled in the pine-forested highlands just outside the capital, Tegucigalpa.

This was a shorter leg of the journey, and one team chose to travel through the historical town of Suchitoto in El Salvador, known for its colonial architecture and vibrant arts and culture scene. Another team opted for a detour to the spectacular Conchagua Volcano on the Gulf of Fonseca before crossing the border.

The quickest route proved to be crossing the border at El Amatillo, rather than taking the coastal option via Tiger Island, as one of the teams discovered. Valle de Ángeles is in an area well off the tourist route, but the town provided a picturesque cultural experience for the racers as they prepared for the second half of their adventure.

The lead changed hands during this leg, with Molly and Tyler coming in first. However, it is extremely close with only 8 minutes separating the top 3 teams.

We can’t wait to find out where the teams will be travelling next!

If you have been inspired by the series and would like to plan a trip to Central America, please do get in touch and we would love to plan a trip for you (and we won't ask you to travel on the local buses!)