Can You Get Back To Guarma After The Story?

Red Dead Redemption 2’s Guarma is supposed to be a temporary location, but it may be possible to return there even after the story moves on. Guarma plays a big role in Chapter Five of Red Dead Redemption 2’s story, as the main characters become stranded on the fictional island. Fleeing the U.S. by boat after a bank heist gone wrong, the Van der Linde gang is caught in an ocean swell and tossed onto the tropical island’s shore. But once players escape the island, it appears to no longer be accessible on the regular map.

With thick greenery, rocky hills, and picturesque ruins, Guarma is an absolute paradise. With aspects of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Guam, it ties RDR2 into real history involving the Spanish-American war and its immediate aftermath. However, for the Van der Lindes, it’s nothing but a nightmare, a place they seek to escape from at all costs. Guarma intentionally appears only during one brief segment of the game, and the player isn’t supposed to revisit it after overcoming the initial ordeal. However, with a little knowledge of some RDR2 exploits and a lot of patience, it’s actually possible to go on another island vacation.

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The Fastest Way To Return To Guarma In Red Dead Redemption 2

A helicopter shot of Guarma Island in RDR2

It is possible to get back to Guarma after Chapter Five of RDR2 – just don’t expect it to be easy. One method of getting back to Guarma in RDR2 was spotted and uploaded by Basement Gamer Bros on YouTube back in 2019, but still appears to be working just fine as of 2024. It involves the use of a few RDR2 glitches, in particular one that lets players exit the map. The original video showing John Marston getting back to Guarma can be viewed below:

Prior to undertaking the return trip to Guarma, players will need horse stimulants and 20 bottles of alcohol – yes, really. It also couldn’t hurt to pack a horse reviver, just in case. The fastest method begins on the San Luis River, just northeast of Manteca Falls. Players must cross the river east to west on horseback, then find a specific crevice, stand facing the wall, and chug until John keels over. When he wakes up, he’ll be on a higher ledge, at which point he’ll need to head south, find another crevice, and drink until he passes out again.

Now mounting his horse and heading south, John will soon be able to exit the map, at which point the “Guarma” location pop-up appears. This signifies the island has loaded in beneath the map. John must keep riding until he hits the very edge of the world, where the low-poly mesh begins. Here, he can jump into the abyss, at which point he’ll spawn in Guarma alive but horseless. Otherwise, he can ride to a specific point where it’s safe for the horse to jump, which means he’ll spawn in Guarma beside his trusty steed.

Another Way To Return To Guarma In RDR2

The Canoe Method

A player character rides a canoe down rocky rapids in a screenshot from Red Dead Redemption 2.

Another way of reaching Guarma after Chapter Five is the canoe method, so called because it involves commandeering a rowboat. This method was also discovered by Basement Gamer Bros on YouTube, and also still seems to work. In order to access Guarma’s location in Red Dead Redemption 2 using the canoe method, players must first activate the glitch that allows them to exit the main map as shown in the video above, then continue to follow the directions in the following video:

Once Guarma has loaded in, head northeast towards Lannahechee. There are various canoes located along the east bank, which players can then board and start rowing. Row north from here, making sure to stay close to the east bank of the river.

Players must keep tapping the row button until they’re officially out of Red Dead Redemption 2’s map, while still staying close to the east bank. Then, maneuver the canoe around the mass of land to the right-hand side. Keep rowing north until the low-poly mesh is visible again, and John should be able to row into a thin outcropping of land. This will eventually lead him under the map, at which point he’ll need to row southward until he hits Guarma proper.

Be warned – getting back to Guarma in
RDR2
takes a LONG time, and players will need to pay attention to make sure they are constantly moving in the proper direction. This would probably be a good time to listen to a podcast.

This method spits John out near the shore of Guarma, but he’ll still have to make land. Luckily, as noted in the video above, the boat cannot sink here, even if the waves are high. If the boat capsizes, it simply flips back upright, and John can swim towards it and hop back in. However, try not to get too far, as John Marston’s inability to swim can cause issues if players are tossed too far from their vessel.

This method may take longer than the traditional map exit, but it does have a unique benefit. Using the canoe, players can explore a rarely seen RDR2 secret: a whole different side of Guarma normally inaccessible by foot.

Guarma: What RDR2 Players Can Do There

There’s a ton to explore in Guarma, which makes the long journey well worth the trip. Players can look around most of RDR2’s hidden island freely, and there are various things to discover. There aren’t any missions or encounters available on Guarma after Chapter Five, though, so players will have to make their own fun. John may find caches of hidden treasure Arthur missed during the Guam story sequence, or discover new plant and animal species to add to his completion list. Of course, it’s also possible to just walk around, enjoy the scenery, and catch a few fish.

Interestingly, there are no horses or wagons available on Guarma by default, so unless they’ve used the particular map exit that allows them to bring a horse, players are limited to getting around on foot. There are also no boats on Guarma, so if players use the canoe method and end up straying too far from their original landing point, they may never be able to find it again.

However, it’s possible to return to the main map by replaying one of RDR2‘s missions. In the Progress menu, under Story, players can select any mission set on the mainland, start it, and then back out of it to respawn near Lemoyne.

Revisiting Red Dead Redemption 2’s Guarma is indeed possible, even if it takes a lot of work and a little underhandedness. In a game full of stunning scenery, Guarma’s shoreline stands out as one of the most idyllic vistas. While it takes a lot of time to get there by any means, seeing that view again makes all the strain of getting there melt away. As a result, going back to Guarma is one of the most satisfying things a player can do after beating Red Dead Redemption 2.

Source: Basement Gamer Bros/YouTube (1), Basement Gamer Bros/YouTube (2)

Red Dead Redemption 2

Franchise: Red Dead
Developer(s): Rockstar Studios

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