A Mexico Beach Trip Packing List for Carry-On Only Travelers
I’ve spent a lot of time exploring Mexico over the years, including many of its popular beach areas. For some, a Mexico beach vacation will be just a part of a larger trip, covering more inland locations like Mexico City, Oaxaca, or San Miguel de Allende. Regardless of where your travels in Mexico take you, this packing list will work for any beach trip from 5-10 days. I’ve also included a notes of things to add if you do go inland as well.
Whether you’re heading to Cabo or Cancun, the coast of Oaxaca or Sayulita, here’s what to pack for a Mexico beach vacation.
Luggage: 25L-35L bag
Generally, if you’re traveling carry-on only, you’ll want to stick to something that’s 45L or less. However, this is the maximum amount you’re allowed to bring and personally, I prefer to pack something smaller (around 28-35L). This gives me more options for transportation when I’m on the ground, is less cumbersome, and is less likely to be gate checked or not fit in the overhead compartment of a smaller, regional plane. Plus, it’s always easier to pack light when you’re going somewhere warm, right?
For this trip, I used the Charlie 25L Backpack by Remote Equipment, since it’s small, waterproof, and can double as a hiking backpack if needed. If you’re a suitcase kind of traveler, Away, July, Paraval, and Monos are great brands to look into.
For my personal item, I usually bring a tote bag by Baggu that can double as a beach bag during the day. Although a locking beach bag might sound like a good idea, I’ve never understood why someone wouldn’t just steal the whole bag, so I typically just leave all valuables at the hotel or take turns swimming. This time, I opted to back a small tote bag and used my Nisolo purse as my personal item.
Clothing: women’s packing list for Mexico
For every trip, regardless of how long I’m going for, I build a travel capsule wardrobe—basically, a travel wardrobe of roughly 10 items, plus PJs and underwear, that I can easily mix and match. For Mexico, this included:
5 tops (2 tank tops, 2 t-shirts, and 1 nicer top for evenings out)
1 jumpsuit by ADAY, one of the best brands for women’s travel clothes
1 sweater for cold airplanes and evenings
1 skirt, preferably a longer, flowy one that can be dressed up or down
2 pairs of shorts, I like the ones by Alo Yoga and Outdoor Voices, that I can hike or walk around town in. I also brought my REI hiking shorts which work well for water sports too.
1 pair of loose, linen pants. I packed a pair by Pact (available in the summer line), but Athleta has something similar.
1 pair of PJs
1 beach/pool cover up (optional; I just use my hiking shorts)
2 bathing suits — my favorite sustainable, travel-friendly brands for swimwear are Summersalt and Londre
6 pairs of underwear. I brought a mix of underwear I wanted to toss and ExOfficio undies, which are great for travel. They’re quick-dry, so I can easily hand wash them in my morning shower and wear them again the next day.
1 sports bra
1 regular bra
After getting together everything, I’ll pick my airport outfit from my packing list to save even more room in my bag.
Shoes and accessories
For shoes, I almost always live in a comfortable, versatile pair of sandals, but pack a pair of flip-flops, which are handy for beach and pool days. Although it might be all about the beach, there are usually opportunities for outdoors activities like hiking or kayaking as well. For this, you’ll want a good pair of breathable, lightweight sneakers.
Sneakers by Tropicfeel’s for hiking and water activities. These are my go-to adventure shoes for warm-weather travel. They’re, lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and even drain out water if you take them swimming or through a waterfall.
Slip on sandals or flats that work well for walking around town and dinners out. For Mexico, I alternate between the Hurache by Nisolo or the slip-on slides by Roam. I rarely bring both. The hurache is my preferred option if I’m going inland too.
Flip flops for beach days.
Small purse for dinners out.
A wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap. Since I’m mostly using a hat while doing outdoor activities or at the beach, I prefer a sport-friendly but fun option, like those by Baggu.
→ Related: The Only 3 Travel Shoes You’ll Ever Need
Toiletries
If you’re traveling for less than 2 weeks, stick to travel-sized only toiletries (the 3-1-1 liquid limits apply in both the U.S. and Mexico) and consider bringing even less than the maximum 3.4 ounces for items like face serum, concealer, etc. that you don’t need a lot of. If there’s anything you need more of, like sunscreen, you can always pick up a full sized bottle once you land.
Although toiletries will vary by individuals, here’s a basic list to start from:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste or toothpaste tablets
Floss
Soap
Shampoo and conditioner, in reusable GoToob bottles. I generally bring a bit extra for beach trips, since I end up washing my hair more than usual.
Comb or travel hairbrush.
Hair ties
Deodorant
Razor
Sunscreen
Bug spray, I used to live by the Deet-filled Ben’s 3.4oz bottle, but recently (finally!) found a chemical-free option that actually works called Kinfield. Plus, it smells nice!
Makeup, and keep it simple.
Tweezers
Basic first aid, band-aids, ibuprofen, and Benadryl.
Menstrual cup. Specifically, a Diva Cup, which I love. It’s more compact than pads or tampons for travel, reusable, eco-friendly, leak-proof, and ensures I’m never caught in a “oh fuck I forgot tampons” situation.
Electronics and other travel accessories
It’s a beach vacation, so I really hope you get to leave the laptop behind and unplug. In which case, here are the essentials I’d recommend bringing (note: you do not need a converter in Mexico):
Travel accessories
Passport. This is an international destination, y’all.
Wallet. I always use the Folio Mini by Bellroy, since it’s very small and includes a zipped pouch. For Mexico, I’ll also bring an extra change purse for coins.
Compression socks, for any flights over 4 hours, I will wear a light compression sock, such as those by Comrad, to help reduce leg restlessness and prevent blood clots.
Hand sanitizer
Eye mask. I like the silk eye masks by Brooklinen.
Water bottle. I use the 500ml Milk Bottle by Snow Peak, since it keeps my water nice and cold, but just bring whatever water bottle you already own.
Electronics
Phone and charger. Many cell service providers in the U.S. include Mexico and Canada in their plans, so double check—you might not need to get a travel pass, eSIM, or a new physical SIM card.
Headphones. Apple AirPods are still the best in class for compact, noise-canceling earbuds in my opinion.
Small external battery for recharging devices. Anker is by far the best brand for these. They recently released a magnetic power bank (Anker / Amazon) which has become my new go-to.
Camera and charger (optional). Jon and I use a Sony RX1, which is compact yet still high quality.
Beach needs
Book or Kindle. When I travel, I love reading books set in the destination I’m visiting like those by Mexican author, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, who wrote the New York Times Bestseller, Mexican Gothic (Amazon / Bookshop.org). It’s a period mystery set in (granted, a less coastal part of) Mexico and one I couldn’t put down—perfect for reading on the beach.
Travel towel. I prefer the medium version of REI’s quick dry towel.
Travel beach blanket. Matador makes a really compact one that I use often.
Portable speaker (optional). It’s not usually my vibe, but when I do bring it, I really like the VSSL flask and speaker combo. It really brings the party (and keeps the mezcal nice and cold).
Did this packing list work?
Even though I didn’t pack much, I never felt like I was missing something when I used this packing list for a recent 10-day beach trip to Todos Santos. However, I did revise this packing list to include a cheap pair of flip-flops. I intentionally left them behind but it was the one thing I kept wishing I had.
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