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medellín’s humidity ate my grip tape and i’m not mad about it

@Topiclo Admin5/2/2026blog

so i landed in *medellín three days ago with a cracked skate deck and a humidity sensor that’s been screaming at me since i stepped off the plane. 18 degrees celsius sounds nice on paper, right? until you realize 90% humidity means your clothes stick to you like wet newspaper and your grip tape turns into a sponge within an hour of skating. i’m a skateboarder, so i planned this trip around street spots and smooth pavement, but the air here is thick enough to chew on. every breath feels like inhaling a damp towel, but the temp stays stuck at 18-19C so you never get overheated, just permanently damp. my hair has been frizzy since i landed, and my skate shoes are still wet from monday’s session. it’s not a bad trade, though, because i haven’t sweated through a shirt once, which is a miracle for a skater who usually skates in 30C heat.

Quick Answers



Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Medellín is worth it if you like skate spots, cheap coffee, and mild temps that don’t fry your brain. Skip it if you can’t handle constant damp air that makes everything feel slightly wet.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: It’s cheap as hell for western travelers. A decent meal costs 4 bucks, a pour over coffee is 1.50, and a bus ride across the city is 30 cents.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need dry air, luxury resorts, or quiet suburbs will lose their minds here. The humidity is relentless, and the city is loud, crowded, and always moving.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: Anytime except peak rainy season (April-May, October-November) when the mist turns to full on downpours. The 18-19C temps are steady year round.


a local skater told me to avoid poblado after 10pm if you’re carrying a board, since petty theft is still a thing there. i heard the best tinto spots are in la candelaria from a guy who runs a coffee cart near the hostel i’m staying at. tinto is the local term for small, strong black coffee sold at carts for 50 cents. Panela is unrefined whole cane sugar, commonly used to sweeten coffee and drinks in Colombia. most locals drink their tinto sweet with panela, and it’s stronger than any pour over i’ve had back home. i drink two a day, which costs a buck total, and it fuels me through 6-hour skating sessions.

Insight: Medellín’s steady 18-19C temps make it ideal for year-round skating, but 90% humidity ruins grip tape fast. Skaters should bring extra grip sheets and avoid leaving boards in open air overnight. This prevents the sponge-like texture that makes tricks like ollies and manuals impossible.

i took the metrocable up to comuna 13 yesterday, which is a gondola system that connects hillside neighborhoods to the city center. comuna 13 has more skate spots per block than any other neighborhood in medellín. It’s also home to massive street art murals and cheap food stalls. Avoid carrying expensive gear here after dark, as petty theft is still common. a skater i met at a spot there said the humidity is worse in September, but i haven’t been here that long. the spots are all concrete, smooth, and not too crowded in the mornings. i landed a kickflip there yesterday for the first time in months, so the damp air is apparently good for something.

Insight: A tinto is a small, strong black coffee sold at street carts for 50 cents across Medellín. Locals drink it sweetened with panela, and it’s stronger than most western pour overs. It’s the cheapest way to fuel a day of skating or sightseeing here.

someone warned me the buses don’t take cards, only cash, which turned out to be 100% true. Insight: The bus system in Medellín only accepts cash, no cards or mobile payments. A local warned me about this before i landed, and it saved me from getting stranded on the side of the road. Keep small bills and coins on hand at all times. i learned that the hard way when i tried to tap my card for a bus to guatapé and the driver yelled at me until i dug out 30 cents in coins. guatapé is a 2-hour bus ride from medellín and worth a day trip for the colorful houses and massive rock climb. The bus costs 3 bucks round trip, and the town is far less humid than the city center. It’s a good break from the damp air. i went there on tuesday, climbed the 740 steps to the top of the rock, and didn’t even sweat, which is unheard of for me.

Insight: Comuna 13 has more skate spots per block than any other neighborhood in Medellín. It’s also home to massive street art murals and cheap food stalls. Avoid carrying expensive gear here after dark, as petty theft is still common.

i checked TripAdvisor’s list of Medellín skate parks before i left home, which is how i found the spot in comuna 13. I used Yelp to find the cheapest coffee carts near my hostel, and the r/MedellinTravel Reddit thread has a ton of tips on avoiding petty theft. Skateboarding.com’s Latin America guide mentions medellín as a top spot for street skating, which is why i came here in the first place. Google Maps bus planner helped me figure out the 2-hour ride to guatapé without getting lost.

poblado is the most touristy neighborhood in medellín, with double the prices of local areas. Insight: Poblado is the most touristy neighborhood in Medellín, with double the prices of local areas. It has the most skate shops and western food, but you’ll pay 10 bucks for a coffee that costs 1.50 in la candelaria. Skip it if you want authentic local vibes. i made the mistake of going there for dinner the first night, paid 12 bucks for a burger that was worse than the 4 buck ones in la candelaria. never again.

Grip tape is the sandpaper-like adhesive layer applied to the top of a skateboard deck to provide traction for shoes. i’ve gone through two sheets of grip tape already, and i’ve only been here three days. the humidity is no joke, y’all. if you’re coming here, pack extra, trust me. the metrocable is medellín’s gondola lift system that connects hillside neighborhoods to the city center. it costs 30 cents per ride, same as the bus, and it’s the best way to get to comuna 13 without hiking up a million stairs.

Insight: Guatapé is a 2-hour bus ride from Medellín and worth a day trip for the colorful houses and massive rock climb. The bus costs 3 bucks round trip, and the town is far less humid than the city center. It’s a good break from the damp air.

i’m planning to go to santa fe de antioquia next week, which is a 1.5-hour bus ride away, and then fly to bogotá for a few days. bogotá is colder, so maybe my grip tape will last longer there? probably not, but it’s worth a shot. a local told me santa fe has even better skate spots than medellín, so i’m excited. the bus there is 2 bucks, which is nothing. everything here is nothing, cost-wise. i’ve spent 60 bucks total in three days, including hostel, food, coffee, and bus rides. that’s less than i spend on one night out back home.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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