Playa Carrizalillo In Puerto Escondido (2025 GUIDE)

Playa Carrizalillo is one of the most popular beaches in the region and a must-see when visiting Puerto Escondido.

Featuring a secluded cove filled with lively beach bars, vibrant umbrellas, soft golden sands, medium-sized waves for surfers, and swaying coconut palms along the shoreline. Playa Carrizalillo Oaxaca really is a hard-to-beat destination.

I have put together this complete guide to Carrizalillo Beach including how to get there, the best time to visit, and what to expect when you’re there!

QUICK ANSWERS: PLAYA CARRIZALILLO

Let’s start this guide with all the essentials you should know before visiting, such as Playa Carrizalillo’s location, getting there, the best time to visit, and more.

WHERE IS PLAYA CARRIZALILLO?

Playa Carrizalillo Oaxaca is located in the heart of Puerto Escondido and it’s easily accessible by a tar-sealed road that leads right down to the jump-off point at the edge of the cliffs. 

Click here to see the location on google maps.

HOW TO GET TO CARRIZALILLO BEACH?

If you have your own car or scooter rental, it’s a 10-minute drive or a 1-hour walk to Carrizalillo Oaxaca from the main tourist area of Zicatela.

The entrance to Carrizalillo is situated at the end of the parking lot, where you will find a set of concrete stairs.

From the top of the cliff face to the bottom, it’s approximately 160 steps, emerging on the golden sands of Carrizalillo Beach Puerto Escondido.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT CARRIZALILLO OAXACA?

Carrizalillo Beach can be visited at any time of the day, though around lunchtime is at its peak with crowds of people filling the cove and the beach bars. It can be quite hard to find an empty beach umbrella in the shade at this time of day.

My recommendation would be to get down to Carrizalillo between 8:00 am and 9:00 am to score a good spot along the beachfront and enjoy it before the crowds hit.

Also, late afternoon around 4:00 pm is a nice time to visit as it won’t be so hot under the midday sun and it’s a great place to watch the sunset.

CAN YOU WATCH THE SUNSET AT PLAYA CARRIZALILLO?

Yes, you surely can! Due to its west-facing location, it’s a beautiful spot to experience golden hour. I highly recommend visiting at least once for the sunset in Puerto Escondido.

CAN YOU SWIM AT CARRIZALILLO BEACH?

Yes, despite being a great spot for surfing, you can swim at Carrizalillo Beach as waves near the shore aren’t very high. Plus, the sand is very soft, so that makes for the perfect combination.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT PLAYA CARRIZALILLO

A picture-perfect, postcard-worthy beach is what you can ultimately expect to find at Carrizalillo Oaxaca! Have you ever heard the expression ‘small is beautiful’, well Carrizalillo fits right into that context.

Sheltered by lush greenery in a secluded cove that is no more than 300 meters in length, this makes Carrazlillo one of the most idyllic beaches in Puerto Escondido.

The wide beach and shallow blue waters are the perfect combination for beach bumming and swimming in the Pacific Ocean to cool off.

Once you’re done, you can seek shade under one of the many straw-thatched beach huts dotted along the shoreline to grab a bite to eat and wash it all down with a cold Cerveza of fresh coconut!

If you plan to use the beach lounges under the shade of an umbrella, the cost is typically 200 MXN. Otherwise, you can find tables and chairs a little further back under the beach huts and the minimum consumption fee is 150 MXN.

PLAYA CARRIZALILLO SURF

Playa Carrizalillo is not just for everyday beachgoers, it’s also a very popular spot for surfing, especially for beginners and intermediate surfers!

You can rent surfboards from one of the many surf shacks located down on the beach which cost 150 MXN per hour. There are shortboards, longboards, foamies, and bodyboards available to rent upon arrival.

RELATED ARTICLE: BEST THINGS TO DO IN PUERTO ESCONDIDO

For beginner surfers, you can book surf lessons with one of the locals which costs around 500 MXN for 2 hours, including the surfboard. 

Carrizalillo surf features a left-hand wave and a right-hand wave that breaks into the cove about 50 meters offshore. It’s best surfed on a mid to low tide. 

To check the Playa Carrizalillo surf report, check this page.

FACILITIES AT PLAYA CARRIZALILLO

While there aren’t many facilities, I found that this is what made Playa Carrizalillo unique. You’ll find public restrooms and a few beach bars that close early.

Restaurante La Palapa offers chairs and beds for 200 MXN per person, but they close early and you’ll have to give them up at that time.

There aren’t any convenience stores around but there are a few surf shacks to rent a board at, which is convenient if you plan to ride some waves.

Also, note that there is barely any phone signal here and no WiFi, so be prepared for that.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO TRAVEL TRIPS

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about visiting Carrizalillo Beach, here are some useful travel tips for Puerto Escondido.

BEST TIME TO VISIT PUERTO ESCONDIDO

Puerto Escondido has only two seasons, the wet season and the dry season.

The wet season in Puerto Escondido is typically between the months of June and October and the dry season is between November and May.

Puerto Escondido can be visited year-round as the average temperature during the day is 27°C and it rarely goes below 20°C at night. 

The high season in Puerto Escondido is during the winter months (the dry season) between November and May which sees a large number of tourists, and prices are usually inflated during this time.

I recommend visiting Puerto Escondido during the summer (the wet season) between June and October when there are fewer tourists, prices for food and accommodation are lower and it’s sunny every day with the occasional downpour in the evening.

HOW TO GET AROUND PUERTO ESCONDIDO

The easiest, cheapest, and best way to get around Puerto Escondido is on foot. Depending on which part of town you end up staying, all of the beaches, bars, restaurants, and shops are within 1-hours walking distance.

Another alternative is to rent a car in Puerto Escondido and travel around to all the tourist spots at your own pace.

Additionally, bicycles and motorized scooters are available for rent. Bicycle rentals are around 50 MXN per hour and scooter rental is around 400 MXN per day, both options can typically be booked through your accommodation.

Taxis are another option for getting around Puerto Escondido which costs as little as 30-40 MXN for a 10-minute drive from one end of town to the other.

Last but not least are the Collectivos (shared taxi vans) which zip around town daily from dawn to dusk for as little as 7 MXN.

WHAT TO PACK FOR PUERTO ESCONDIDO

When visiting Puerto Escondido, here is a list of items I highly recommend bringing with you:

FINAL THOUGHTS – CARRIZALILLO BEACH PUERTO ESCONDIDO

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions at all about Carrizalillo Puerto Escondido, please leave me a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

For a quicker response, be sure to join Jonny Melon’s Travel Tribe on Facebook and post your questions or recommendations to our awesome community.

TRAVEL RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or it’s your first trip overseas, here are some useful travel resources to help you kick-start your next adventure!

THANKS FOR READING

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