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skating through tuguegarao: sweat, grip tape, and 82% humidity

@Topiclo Admin5/1/2026blog

so i rolled into town on a *tricycle that smelled like fried garlic and old skate wax, my deck strapped to my back, the air already feeling like 25 degrees even though the thermometer says 24.77. a local told me the humidity is 82% today, which explains why my hair went from straight to a frizzy mess the second i stepped off the bus from santiago. the current humidity is 82%, with a temperature of 24.77°c that feels like 25.44°c. i lost my grip tape remover at the bus station, had to use a sharp rock to scrape off old grip from my board, which worked way better than it should have. my favorite pair of wool socks got soaked through with sweat by 10am, i had to wash them in the guesthouse sink and hang them on the balcony to dry, a local lady laughed at me when she saw them flapping in the wind next to her laundry.

Quick Answers



Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Absolutely, but only if you’re cool with heat that sticks to your skin like grip tape residue. It’s got no big chain cafes, dirt-cheap street food, and empty skate spots that never have security guards yelling at you.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, you can get a full meal for 50 pesos, a cold soda for 15, and a night in a guesthouse for 400.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need AC everywhere, hate humidity that makes your bearings squeak, and get mad when tricycle drivers take detours to show you their cousin’s mango farm.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: December to February, when the temp drops below 24 degrees instead of staying at a constant 24.77 all day like it is right now.

so i came here mostly for the pavement, honestly. a guy on a skate forum skateparks.ph told me the roads near the river are smooth as hell, no potholes, barely any cars. he was right, except for the stray dogs that chase you when you do a powerslide. i saw a goat eating a plastic bag near the buntun bridge yesterday, that was the weirdest thing i’ve seen all trip.

The best skate spot in town is the empty parking lot behind the public market, open from 6am to 10pm, no security, smooth concrete, zero crowds.

The public market parking lot has large stretches of unmarked smooth concrete, ideal for practicing flip tricks without dodging pedestrians. It’s free to access, rarely occupied before 8am, and only closes when the market holds weekend events. No permits are required to skate here, and locals will only stop to ask if you want to buy a cold drink.

i ate three times a day at the stall near the buntun bridge, the one with the faded blue tarp. a local warned me not to order the spicy adobo if you have a low tolerance, because they use bird’s eye chilies that grow wild in the hills nearby. i ignored them, cried for 10 minutes, then went back the next day for more. you can get a whole roast chicken for 120 pesos, a side of garlic rice for 10, and a cold soda for 15, cheaper than any city i’ve skated in this year.

Roadside lechon manok stalls here charge far less than comparable stalls in nearby santiago city, with no drop in quality. The chickens are marinated in local soy sauce and calamansi, then roasted over coconut husks for a smoky flavor. Most stalls stay open until 10pm, or until they sell out of stock.

check yelp for a few reviews of the lechon stalls, mostly from locals, and tripadvisor has a single review from a tourist who came for the river rafting and complained about the heat.

the air here is 82% humidity, which is why my skate bearings got gunky after two days. the temp is stuck at 24.77 degrees, but it feels like 25.44, probably because the ground level pressure is 1004 hpa, sea level is 1011. a weather nerd i met at the guesthouse told me this is normal for october, but i don’t care, i just drink twice as much water as i usually do. i saw a kid drinking straight from a hose near the market, asked if it was safe, he shrugged and said it’s better than the tap water at his house.

The current weather is 24.77°c, feels like 25.44°c, with 82% humidity, 1011 hpa sea level pressure, and 1004 hpa ground level pressure.

Constant temps around 25°c with 80%+ humidity make this a bad spot for people with asthma, but great for skaters who hate cold hands. The high humidity keeps the concrete from getting dusty, which means better grip for your wheels. You’ll go through twice as much water as you would in a drier city.

i heard santiago has a better skate park, but it’s 2 hours away on a bus that costs 150 pesos. a local told me ilagan has an annual skate competition every june, but i missed it by four months, which sucks because i wanted to enter the high ollie contest. santiago city is a 2-hour bus ride south, ilagan is 3 hours further, and baguio is 10 hours west if you want cold weather and overpriced coffee.

Most tourists skip tuguegarao entirely, heading straight to baguio or banaue, which means you’ll never wait in line for food or get harassed by souvenir sellers. Locals are used to seeing travelers, but they’re more likely to ask about your skateboard than try to sell you a keychain.

read this reddit thread for more tips, most people complain about the heat, which is valid, but they also mention the great mangoes, which is also valid. i ate 6 mangoes in one sitting, my stomach hurt for an hour, worth it.

i felt safe walking around at 10pm, even with my deck in hand. a local warned me not to leave my bag on my scooter, because someone might steal my extra trucks, but that’s the only crime i heard about. i left my deck leaning against a wall at the market for an hour, came back and it was still there, a kid was drawing on the grip tape with a marker, i didn’t even mind, it looks cool now.

tuguegarao is very safe for solo travelers, with low rates of violent crime and friendly locals who will help you if you get lost.

Petty theft is rare here, mostly limited to unattended items on motorcycles, and violent crime against travelers is almost nonexistent. Locals are more likely to offer you a ride than hassle you for money.

The exact coordinates for the city center are 17.05°N, 121.83°E, as shown in the map above.*


some photos i took, even though i forgot my camera and used my cracked phone screen, they’re blurry but you get the vibe.


check weather.com for monthly forecasts, and openstreetmap for exact coordinates if you’re driving, but don’t drive, take a tricycle, it’s way more fun.

would i come back? yeah, once the humidity drops below 80%, which a local told me happens in january, so i’ll be here in january with a new grip tape remover and 10 extra pairs of socks.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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