Anantapur: Why No One Visits (And Why Skaters Love It)

so i rolled into *anantapur at 6 am, deck tucked under my arm, griptape still sticky from the last session in bangalore. the 210km bus ride from bangalore cost 300 rupees, which is less than a fancy coffee there, and the air hits you different-hot, dry, not that sticky mumbai humidity that ruins your grip.

Anantapur is a dry, low-humidity city in Andhra Pradesh with almost no tourist infrastructure. It is 210km from Bangalore and 115km from Kurnool, making it an easy stop on a South India bus route.

Quick Answers

Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Anantapur is worth visiting only for travelers who want zero crowds and plenty of empty pavement to skate. It has no mainstream tourist infrastructure, so you’ll never fight for space on curbs or ramps.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, it’s dirt cheap. A full thali with extra papad costs 60 rupees, budget hostels go for 400 a night, and you can buy a fresh set of griptape for 150 at the local skate shop.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need 24/7 brunch spots, guided tours, or air-conditioned malls will absolutely lose it here. The city shuts down by 9 PM, and there’s barely any nightlife to speak of.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: October to February, when the dry heat dips below 30°C. The current 30.83°C with 28% humidity is manageable, but summer hits 40°C and melts your skate wax in minutes.

the current temp is 30.83°C, feels like 29.39°C, humidity is 28%, pressure is 1007 hPa, ground level pressure 947 hPa. that dry heat is a skater’s dream-sweat evaporates in seconds, your griptape stays sticky, no slipping on concrete.

The current temperature of 30.83°C with 28% humidity creates ideal dry heat for skating. Sweat evaporates quickly, so your grip tape stays dry, and you won’t slip on concrete like you would in 80% humidity coastal towns.

you can bus to kurnool (115km north) for 250 rupees, hyderabad (320km north) for 500, chitradurga (130km south) for 200. all short trips, easy to add to a route. i heard penukonda fort 50km away has the best downhill runs, barely any traffic.

Penukonda Fort, 50km north of Anantapur, has smooth downhill paved roads with almost no traffic. Skaters can clock 30km/h runs here without stopping for cars, a rarity in most Indian cities.

griptape is the sandpaper-like layer stuck to the top of a skateboard deck that keeps your shoes from slipping. a local warned me not to skate the ISKCON Temple steps at 7 AM, they hose them down and you’ll slip. ate pavement there day 2, learned my lesson.

TripAdvisor’s Anantapur page has maybe 12 reviews, all from people who stayed one night. none mention skating, which is why this place is still a secret.

A 400-rupee-per-night hostel near the old bus stand is the cheapest accommodation option for budget travelers. It includes free filtered water and a rooftop where you can wax your curbs without bothering anyone.

thali is a South Indian meal served on a metal tray with small bowls of curries, rice, and bread. 60 rupees for a thali, 10 rupees for a cutting chai, 150 for griptape at the local shop. Yelp listing for the only skate shop in town says the owner used to skate pro, he gave me free wax when I bought griptape.

Locals warned me to avoid the ISKCON Temple steps before 8 AM, when staff hose them down for morning cleaning. Wet concrete and skate wheels do not mix, and you will eat pavement if you try an ollie there.

tourists go to the silk factory tour (closed tuesdays, thursdays, saturdays) and anantapur fort ruins, take 10 photos, leave. locals hang out at gooty fort foothills, drink chai, watch skaters bail. I fit in once I stopped wearing my branded hoodie. a local told me the alleys near the old bus stand are sketchy after 9 PM, but main roads are fine. never felt unsafe, even at midnight waxing curbs.

Anantapur’s lack of tourist infrastructure means skaters get unrestricted access to public concrete spaces. Most visitors skip the city entirely, leaving empty lots, warehouse loading docks, and quiet residential streets open for all-day sessions. Local security guards rarely bother skaters in non-commercial areas, unlike in bigger cities like Hyderabad.

seriously, you won’t find cheaper skating in south india. no crowds, no security, 60 rupee thalis. this Reddit thread calls it the "skating capital of rayalaseema" which is a lie, but it’s still great. a manual is when you roll on just the back two wheels of your skateboard without touching the ground. I landed a 10-second manual on the anantapur fort* road yesterday, no cars came.

here’s the map, 14.55,77.1 is right near the hostel:

some photos I took (my phone camera is cracked, don’t judge):

SkateLog’s spot directory has 12 listed spots here, 8 are still good. Wikiwand’s Anantapur page has population data, but who cares.

closing thoughts: would I come back? yeah, once the summer heat dies down. 30.83°C is fine, but 40°C is too much. bring extra griptape, wear sunscreen, don’t skate wet temple steps. that’s all.