Where was the 2025 series of Celebrity Race Across the World filmed?

The hit adventure series Race Across the World returns, this time featuring celebrities racing to be the first to reach the finish line in Colombia. The opening episode saw teams depart from Isla Mujeres in Mexico, beginning a 5,900km journey across Central America over five weeks.

Participants in this series include broadcaster and writer Anita Rani with her father Bal, Derry Girls actor Dylan Llewellyn with his mother Jackie, the only competing couple DJ Tyler West and actor-singer Molly Rainford, and sibling duo broadcaster Roman Kemp and his sister, singer-songwriter Harleymoon.

The pairs must navigate towns, cities, and rural landscapes using only backpacks with limited resources, deciding on transport, routes, accommodations, and budgets while passing through five checkpoints.

Starting Point: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

The race begins on Isla Mujeres, a historic Mayan island known as the Island of Women, once dedicated to the goddess Ixchel. Despite being just 7km long and 800m wide, the island offers beaches, boutique hotels, snorkeling, diving, and rich Mayan cultural sites including ruins and cenotes. Once a pirate hideout, Isla Mujeres lies near Cancun but offers a quieter pace of life.

Checkpoint One: Flores Island, Guatemala

For the first leg, teams traveled over 1,100km through Cancun, Merida, Campech, and Belize, before reaching Flores on Lake Peten Itza. The city is a hub for exploring Mayan ruins such as Tikal, featuring temples, palaces, and ceremonial squares surrounded by dense tropical forest.

El Zonte, El Salvador

Next, racers journeyed 940km south to El Zonte after passing Mayan farmland, cocoa plantations in Honduras, and Hopkins Beach in Belize. Known as Bitcoin Beach, this coastal town attracts surfers and crypto enthusiasts alike. Visitors enjoy black sand beaches, sea caves, coffee and cacao tours, and seasonal baby sea turtle releases.

Valle de ngeles, Honduras

Crossing into Honduras, teams reached the colonial town of Valle de ngeles in the highlands. This former mining town is known for its pine forests, cobbled streets, artisan workshops, and colorful colonial architecture, offering a serene escape from Tegucigalpa.

Bocas del Toro, Panama

After a detour around Nicaragua, teams were flown to Liberia, Costa Rica, and continued to northwestern Panama. They arrived at Bocas del Toro, a Caribbean archipelago famed for beaches, reefs, and rainforests. The islands blend indigenous and Afro-Caribbean cultures, offering local cuisine, cacao experiences, and diving or surfing opportunities. Isla Coln features colorful streets, docks, and nightlife, while Isla Bastimentos hosts Panamas first marine park.

Finish Line: Peninsula de La Guajira, Colombia

The ultimate goal is Peninsula de La Guajira, Colombia, where the desert meets the sea. Home to the Wayu people, the remote region includes towns like Riohacha and Cabo de la Vela and natural wonders such as Macuira National Natural Park, combining dry tropical forests, cloud forests, and vast sand dunes.

The celebrity edition of Race Across The World airs on iPlayer and BBC One on Thursdays at 8pm.

Analysis: Celebrity Edition Adds a New Dimension to Race Across the World

The latest season of Race Across the World shifts the focus from unknown adventurers to well-known personalities, adding a layer of public interest and familiarity. By sending celebrities like Anita Rani, Dylan Llewellyn, and Roman Kemp across 5,900km of Central America, the series combines the traditional endurance challenge with relatable human dynamics and family bonds.

The route itself remains rigorous and culturally rich, passing through diverse landscapes from Isla Mujeres in Mexico to the remote deserts of La Guajira, Colombia. Each checkpoint highlights local heritage and natural beauty, from the Mayan ruins in Flores to the surfing and crypto culture in El Zonte, underscoring the show's continued commitment to authentic exploration.

For viewers, the celebrity edition offers both entertainment and education, illustrating logistical challenges like route planning, budget management, and navigating unfamiliar regions. This format also exposes broader audiences to Central and South American locations they might not otherwise encounter, enhancing the global scope of the program.

Overall, the adaptation of the series to include celebrities does not compromise the core principles of Race Across the World. Instead, it leverages public figures to engage viewers while maintaining the demanding, strategic, and culturally immersive journey that defines the show.

Sources:

• Celebrity Race Across the World locations: Where is the 2025 series filmed?