Shadow of the Tomb Raider San Cordoba Challenge Tomb Guide

At a certain point in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you can take on an optional puzzle cave called the 'San Cordoba' Challenge Tomb. In this Shadow of the Tomb Raider San Cordoba guide, we'll be explaining how you can quickly solve the Spanish galleon challenge tomb as easily as possible.

But if you instead need any additional help with any other areas of Lara Croft’s latest adventure, you’ll want to head over to our Shadow of the Tomb Raider guides hub. It’s on this main page that you can find all the introductory tips and tricks you need for the early hours of the game, including all the various gameplay changes that Square Enix has made for this sequel.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider San Cordoba Challenge Tomb Guide

To get access to this Challenge Tomb in the Cenote region of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you’re going to have to move a cart and cannon on wheels. To start with, move the cart out of the way of the cannon, and then push the cannon straight forward, so it falls down a slope and crashes through a wooden barricade, revealing the San Cordoba Challenge Tomb to you.

In the next area with the Spanish Galleon perched slightly above you, head round on the path to the right. At the very end of the path, there’ll be a small floating raft that you can kick into the water. Jump on the raft, and climb up the side of the galleon until you’re on the upper deck.

Head down the stairs in front of you and to your right, and you’ll see a wheel that you can turn. Turning this wheel adjusts the position of the cannon hanging above you, and you need to position the cannon so it’s hanging above the upper deck, where you were previously stood.

Now turn around, and dive into the water between the two halves of the ship. Diving underwater, you can see a closed gate dead ahead of you, which Lara can pry open with her pickaxe. Now quickly swim all the way to the end of this pathway, and you’ll find yourself in the depths of the other half of the galleon.

Now take the path that bends round ahead of you, and jump up the wall on your left. Now jump up the ledge just above you, and look to your left, where you can jump using a beam to reach the upper deck of this front half of the galleon.

Instead of using the turning wheel, make your way over the fallen mast to your left, and jump up the wall ahead of you.

At the top of the climbing wall, head around the path to the left, and you’ll see an outstretched platform ahead of you. Now jump across to this platform, and you can activate the wheel ahead of you with your pickaxe, causing the beam to swing round.

Now jump up the white wooden board that’s to the right of the wheel, and you can climb up to a beam. Head left when you’re on this beam, and you can jump off the end to a new path.

Head round to the right on this path, and you can jump onto a climbing wall at the end. Rappel your way down, and you can swing out to your right, jumping onto the beam that you just swung round.

Now jump down onto the lower deck, and you can interact with the turning wheel to spin the protruding beam round to the right. It should now be within reach of the box, and if you head to the box on the edge of the deck you’re stood on, you can jump across to the beam.

Walk to the end of the beam, jump onto the box, and jump from there to the wooden boards in front of you. Now climb all the way up to the next level, and you can turn the wheel there with your pickaxe, causing the cannon to drop down through the floor, and into the Captain’s quarters.

And with that, you’re all wrapped up with this San Cordoba Challenge Tomb in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Simply head down into the Captain’s quarters, and you can claim the treasure, which is actually the ability to breathe underwater for longer.

This might be the end of our Shadow of the Tomb Raider guide on how to complete the San Cordoba Challenge Tomb, but there's plenty more guides on the game to be found here at USgamer. Why not head over to our Shadow of the Tomb Raider Peruvian Jungle guide, for a complete list collectibles in the massive area.