Top 10 Forza Horizon 5 locations you NEED to explore

Having thoroughly explored the Forza Horizon 5 early access preview, I thought I would show you the ten best places I found ahead of that early November release date.

Hello and welcome to A Tribe Called Cars. In this video (click the play button or here) I am going to show you some of the coolest, most interesting places I discovered in Forza Horizon 5. So if you want to wait until the release date and maximise the surprise – I don’t blame you – maybe stop watching.

For those who are curious, however, it is worth noting that 99 per cent of the Mexico map was empty. It is likely that the places in my video will be way more interesting in the retail version. Even so, here is a small taste of some awesome scenery and locations.

1) Forza Horizon 5: The high bridge

One of gaming’s greatest pleasures is falling off high things. In the case of Forza Horizon 5, we have this lovely bridge that provides great views of the Mexico map. But who cares about that when you can launch yourself off the side like a lemming?

Unfortunately, the Ford Mustang did not want to play ball. Maybe this is what really happened in the Italian Job, they just got stuck and died of starvation. Anyway, the Ford Bronco had no issue hurtling to its death. Would recommend.

2) Avatar Land

Avatar Land is not the official name, but there is a similar vibe to the land of steep cliffs. Unfortunately some areas are difficult or maybe impossible to reach, even in the mighty Ford Bronco. But it is a pretty area and bags of fun to mess around in.

There is a train track nearby in case you want to try and stop it. Obviously I would never do that. And a cable car that did not move in the preview, but maybe it does in the full game.

3) The Mayan Temples

If Mexico was missing some Mayan temple action, it would have been sad. These are amazing places that I was lucky enough to see in real life. Go visit. But do not miss the bus back like I did, that was a long day.

Anyway, there are a few different areas with Mayan temples, the main one being Ek Balam. Not far, in real life, from the pretty town of Valladolid. Where I took this photo of a VW ‘Vocho’ Beetle. With wooden ramps up to the top of some temples, no doubt there will be fun challenges here.

4) The football stadium

Now I know some people call football soccer, for some reason, but to most of the world it is a game where you kick a ball between posts. And tactically dive on the floor for penalties. Or just miss them if you play for England. Not bitter or anything.

In Forza Horizon 5, you can drive around a large football stadium and there is even a giant football in the middle should you wish to play. No, you can’t use your feet. But, yes, bonnets and rear bumpers are a good substitute.

5) The beach

Cruise to the west of Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 and you can enjoy some beautifully picturesque sandy beaches. Complete with birds that do their best to avoid being splatted.

All I could find here were some hidden XP signs, but no doubt the retail game will give you much more to do. Maybe there will be a salt-blasted barn find nearby? If not, driving round the tourist resort hotels is amusing.

6) The Abandoned aircraft base

Another best Forza Horizon 5 location is the abandoned military base. Here you can find lots of grounded planes, some of which have ramps up the side for taking photos. There are also jumps, hidden signs and a long runway with a huge leap of faith at the end.

One of the first things I will be doing on the Forza Horizon 5 release date is taking something with a very high top speed and seeing if I can make it to the sea. I’ve already heard of at least one 300mph car that might do the job.

7) The Gran Caldera road

In seventh place is the wiggly road leading up to the Gran Caldera volcano. I was expecting more of a Drifty McDriftFace experience, but the reality is more about street racing. Making your way to the top and back takes more than ten minutes, highlighting just how big the Mexico map is.

If you get bored of sticking to the tarmac and rally-friendly gravel up top, which leads to a radar station, you can jump down the side like I am in this Mazda MX-5. That poor, poor suspension.

8) Guanajuato

Replacing Edinburgh in Forza Horizon 4 as the main city is Guanajuato. I would not say it is the most distinctive city, however the pretty colourful houses and thin roads make it fun to drive around. Plus there is some underground action to be had.

Grab yourself a drift-happy machine and blitz around Guanajuato for some big thrills. Better still, attempt to do so with a steering wheel and pedals. I would recommend using Simulator instead of Normal for the settings, at least that worked better for me.

9) The racetrack

Another fun area is the racetrack, where you can either go for speed or upgrade something like this Honda S2000 and enjoy that new tyre smoke. The best route is not immediately clear, but some of the corners are mucho satisfying to hook up. If you can drive better than I am.

10) The jungle (is massive)

And lastly. No I do not mean drum and bass – Mexico has some stunning jungle in real life and Forza Horizon 5 does a great job of replicating it. You even get migrating butterflies, but thankfully not the mosquitoes so large you can see they have pretty colours on their body. Not even joking.

There are also rivers and other sneaky things you can experience throughout the jungle (is massive) areas. I even found what appears to be a Barn Find. But this being the preview, I was unable to see what was inside. If anything. Fingers crossed it will be the DMC DeLorean.

And on that note, feel free to go back in time and subscribe if you have not already. I would really appreciate it. Let me know if you want any specific Forza Horizon 5 content – I have a lot of ideas but the more the merrier.