Small is beautiful at Carrizalillo, set in a sheltered cove west of the center that's reached by a stairway of 157 steps. It’s popular for swimming and bodyboarding, and is the place for beginner surfers. Book a lesson and you'll probably end up here making a splash or three 50m offshore. There's a mellow line of palapa (thatch-roofed) beach bars when you finish.
![January 2018: The crowded beach of Playa Carrizalillo in Puerto Escondido.
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