Packing for a beach vacation and not sure what to bring? As a certified beach girl, most of my trips are to coastal, beach-filled destinations. I’ve perfected my beach vacation packing list, and now I’m sharing it with you!

Some of my favorite coastal destinations are Greece, Hawaii, and my own home state of California. Pretty much anywhere with sunshine, gorgeous beaches, and a salty sea is my ideal kind of trip.

When packing for beach vacations, I usually stick to the essentials and a capsule wardrobe that is cute and comfortable in the heat.

This list includes essentials to protect yourself from the sun, clothes that keep you cool and stylish, personal care items for beach getaways, and travel essentials to help you pack like a pro.

Beach Vacation Essentials

A beach vacation should be laid-back, fun, and stress-free. Packing these essentials can help avoid a trip-ruining sunburn and make your life a bit easier.

If you want the full shoppable list, click the button below!

Beach Vacation Items

Reef-Safe Sunscreen

If you’re visiting somewhere coastal, make sure you wear reef-safe sunscreen so you don’t pollute the sea/ocean!

Hawaii even passed a law that bans the sale of any sunscreens made with oxybenzone and octinoxate, which bleach coral and damage marine ecosystems.

My favorite sunscreen brand is COOLA. It’s reef-safe, cruelty-free, and doesn’t leave a thick white cast like other sunscreens I’ve tried.

On a personal note, I’m allergic to most sunscreens. I’ve tried dozens of brands, and I’m not allergic to COOLA!

Their classic SPF 50 sunscreen is my go-to for daily wear and travel. I do have a slight reaction to the spray-on sunscreen and the sunscreen sticks, so if you’re allergic to sunscreen as well, those might not work for you.

Turkish Towel

I bring my Turkish towel on all my trips that involve swimming, beaches, or any bodies of water. It’s lightweight, doesn’t take up much space in my suitcase, and dries me well after a swim in the sea.

Any item that can be used for multiple purposes is ideal for travel. I use my Turkish towel as a regular beach towel, a sarong tied around my hips, a shawl to cover my shoulders, and a pillow or blanket when traveling.

To pack it, I either fold it to the size of my carry-on and use it as the bottom layer under my packing cubes, or I fold it to the size of my medium compression packing cube and pack it in there.

It’s 100% cotton, which can take longer to dry than synthetics, but it always dries plenty fast for me when I lay it out in the sun.

After-Sun Gel

No matter how diligent you are about sunscreen, you will probably still get a slight burn on trips to places with strong UV, like the Caribbean or Hawaii.

Even though I rarely burn, a boat trip to the Tobago Cays still resulted in a sunburn. I was beyond thankful to have some nice after-sun gel to calm my hot skin in the evenings.

Sunbum makes an incredible after-sun gel, but I also love Holika Holika Aloe. Regular aloe works well too; it just doesn’t have all the additional skincare in it.

Be sure to either get a travel size or transfer the after-sun gel into a travel container if you’re packing carry-on only. I use silicone containers for all my liquids/gels (more on these later).

Sun Hat

A sun hat is a staple in my beach trip packing, not only because it instantly pulls an outfit together, but also because it protects my face, neck, and shoulders from the sun.

I recommend getting a packable sun hat that does well in a suitcase.

Alternatively, you could get a hat clip to carry it outside of your carry-on. Some airlines are strict about this, though, so do so at your own risk.

Sunglasses

I’m not a fancy sunglasses person. I once had a pair of RayBans that I cherished, but trying to keep track of sunglasses when traveling is stressful enough with cheap sunglasses.

My go-to sunglasses are simple, acetate tortoise print with brown lenses. The exact ones I have are no longer sold; however, Amazon has some extremely similar ones at the same price point.

Swimwear

While it’s tempting to stuff my suitcase with swimwear for beach vacations, I limit it to 2–3 swimsuits. I recommend at least two swimsuits so you can rotate them while the other one hangs dry.

Three is ideal if you’re visiting a place where you’ll be in the sea or a pool multiple times a day. That way, you can wear one for a morning swim, change into another for an afternoon activity, and have another for the next day.

If you’re looking for new swimwear, these are my go-to places to get it:

Vitamin A: “Sustainability is sexy” is their motto. Their sustainable swimwear is high-quality, comfortable, and comes in flattering cuts.
Abercrombie: The swimwear prices at Abercrombie are mid-range, and the quality is great. I love their underwire tops and high-leg bottoms.
Monday: On the higher end of the price range, Monday swimwear has quality pieces. The only one-piece swimsuit I own is the Monday Clovelly One Piece. It’s comfortable, stretchy, and fits nicely.
Aerie: For something more affordable, the swimwear at Aerie is fantastic. The pieces aren’t as “luxury” as the higher-end brands, but I have been wearing them for years without any issues. I like the High Cut Cheeky Bikini Bottom.

Clothing to Pack for a Beach Vacation

One of the most fun parts of packing for a trip is picking my outfits. Whether you love packing clothes or loathe it, you’ve gotta do it.

I find it’s least stressful to lay out all the clothes I may want to pack on my bed. I can better visualize outfits this way and eliminate any pieces that don’t work. Picking tops and bottoms that can be mixed and matched is ideal to save space.

Lightweight Dresses

When it’s hot and/or humid, sometimes a flowy dress is all I can tolerate wearing. Light colors like white and pastels help keep you cooler than darker fabrics.

While I usually prefer linen or 100% cotton for clothes in warm weather, flowy dresses of any fabric are fine with me! I like ones that feel soft and have some stretch.

My favorite places to get travel dresses:

Abercrombie: The best dresses for travel are from Abercrombie. They have a mix of casual and formal-ish dresses that are high-quality and cute. I wear them often on my trips. This dress would be perfect for a beach vacation.
Fortunate One: The variety of styles at Fortunate One gives you plenty of options for beachy dresses. Their dresses are perfect for beach vacations and lounging around resorts.
American Eagle: You can find lower-priced dresses at American Eagle, especially during sales. They tend to lean more casual — great for a laid-back, beach vacation.
Reformation: For slightly more fancy dresses, Reformation has a wide selection of flattering styles. Shop here if you need a more upscale dress for a nice dinner out.

Swim Cover-Up

An oversized, long-sleeve shirt is a versatile item to pack for a beach trip. It can be used for multiple purposes:

Swim cover-up when you’re heading to the beach.
Sun protection when your shoulders feel like they’re burning.
Cover for visiting churches or temples that require covered shoulders/chest.

Aerie has affordable, lightweight cover-ups that have been great for my beach vacations!

Tops

I’m a fan of quality basics when it comes to tops. Simple, ribbed tank tops and stretchy cropped tees account for the majority of my tops.

When it comes to visiting beach destinations, I prefer lighter colors, but still wear black. It’s just what I’ve got in my closet.

Lightweight, flowy tops are ideal for a beach vacation. If you’ve got those, pack ‘em! If you want to buy some:

Abercrombie has nice tops at a good value for quality.
Sabo Skirt has unique styles for something beyond the basic.
American Eagle has tees and tanks at lower price points.
Beyond yoga has my favorite stretchy tanks with a built-in sports bra for more active days (and underwire-free support).

Flowy Pants

My favorite piece of clothing to pack for coastal trips is a pair of flowy pants (ideally with pockets). While the exact pair I wear regularly isn’t sold at Abercrombie anymore, you can get a simila r style.

Any pull-on pants are convenient for warm-weather travel, especially when you’re going to or leaving the beach and need to throw something on over your swimsuit.

American Eagle also has a nice pair of high-waisted, wide-leg, text ured pull-on p ants with a drawstring.

The best ones have a string tie to help the pants stay on when you have a phone or wallet in your pocket.

Shorts/Skirts

Like pants, flowy, pull-on shorts are the best for beach vacations. I love linen or cotton blends — you just have to be okay with wrinkles or plan to steam/iron them.

Abercrombie always has some sort of pull-on shorts each year. They’re cute and comfortable with a variety of colors and styles.

If you prefer skirts, the It-Knit Skort from American Eagle is my all-time favorite mini skort. It’s super stretchy and comfy for travel!

Personal Care to Pack for a Beach Vacation

Beach vacations usually mean lots of time outside in the sun, maybe some swimming in the salty sea, or a dip in the chlorinated pool.

As much as I consider myself low maintenance when it comes to my travel beauty routine, personal care must be packed for trips.

Ethique Bars

I will never stop talking about how much I love these shampoo bars. They don't have to be packed in your liquids bag, and they make my hair feel amazing.

After trying these for the first time in 2021, I stopped using liquid shampoo/conditioner and have only used Ethique bars ever since!

They started as a small company, but now their bars are sold in major retailers like Ulta Beauty. The bars have changed shape and packaging over the years, but they’ve only gotten better, never losing quality.

The Hydrating Bars are my favorite scent, and I've tried over a dozen different bars from them! If you’re swimming in salty water, it can dry out your hair pretty badly, and the hydrating conditioner bar helps revive my crunchy salt-dried hair.

If you aren’t sure about using shampoo/conditioner bars, try a mini bar set! The minis are also the perfect size for travel.

I also recommend grabbing the shower storage tray to keep the bars dry between uses.

Face/Body Wash

You can get face wash and body wash bars from Ethique if you want to go all bar soap. As much as I love their shampoo/conditioner bars, I prefer liquids for my face and body wash.

If you go with liquids, be sure they’re travel size. I like using the silicone travel containers since they can be flattened down to make extra space as you use up the liquids.

However, I also sometimes get travel-size versions of my usual face wash and body wash, then refill those containers over and over from my large bottles at home.

Anti-Perspirant

Look, I’ve tried practically every single natural deodorant on the market. The truth is, they just don’t work well in hot climates or if you’re a sweaty person (I’ll admit it!).

Switching back to an anti-perspirant has been… life-changing. I’m not even being dramatic.

For years, I could not find a deodorant that kept me smelling fresh all day. Traveling started to suck because long travel days meant I was sweating and, well, not smelling great.

Since I started using an anti-perspirant, long travel days and beach vacations have become a breeze! I don’t sweat from my armpits at all and smell amazing all day.

I hate getting white clumps or flakes, so I use a clear gel anti-perspirant from Secret. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever bought, seriously! Haha.

Waterproof Mascara

As someone with straight lashes that cannot hold a curl with regular mascara, I exclusively wear waterproof mascara. Two decades of trying different brands have made me an unofficial expert in waterproof mascaras.

The best waterproof mascara I have found is Cleantopia by CoverGirl.

It’s the best for a variety of reasons: it holds my lashes in a curl (after using an eyelash curler), it’s cruelty-free, it stays on in the water, doesn’t flake into my eyes, and it comes in Black Brown.

Tinted Moisturizer

Most days, I only wear sunscreen and maybe some waterproof mascara. Especially when I’m traveling with long days of exploring or hanging out at the beach.

I love the look of wearing foundation, but hate the feeling of it on my face. That’s where tinted moisturizer comes in.

The Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer is lightweight, has minimal coverage, and has SPF 20. It has become a staple for me! I don’t feel it on my face, and it’s just enough coverage to even out my skintone without looking like I’m wearing makeup.

I’ve also used Tarte Maracuja Tinted Hydrator and love that one too. It has slightly more coverage and feels heavier than the Rare Beauty one. There isn’t any SPF, though, so be sure to wear sunscreen under it.

Liquid Blush/Bronzer

If I’m going to wear makeup for a coastal trip, I prefer liquid or cream over powder. For me, liquid blush and bronzer hold up better in humid and coastal climates.

I also find it easier to put on or retouch compared to powdered makeup.

My most loved liquid blush and bronzer are both from Rare Beauty: Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Soft Pinch Liquid Contour. They’ve been with me to multiple countries and countless beaches.

I have dry skin, so liquid helps keep it more hydrated. If you have oily skin, you may be better off with a cream-to-powder formula like the Soft Pinch Matte Bouncy Blush.

Primer

Keeping your makeup intact during a beach vacation might feel impossible, but a good primer will help it last longer.

I like a somewhat tacky primer to help grip onto my makeup so it doesn’t have dry patches and stays all day. The one that works best for me is e.l.f. Power Grip Primer.

I’ve tried expensive primers like M.A.C. and Too Faced — the e.l.f. primer is still the best in my experience. Plus, it’s a much better value.

For my order of operations, I start with my SPF 50 sunscreen for sun protection, add primer on top, and then put on tinted moisturizer.

Cleansing Balm

At the end of a day, after sweating, swimming, and exploring, you’ll need more than water and face wash.

Cleansing balm is the first step before washing your face. It melts off all your makeup, leaving your skin ready for face wash.

It’s also crucial for removing waterproof mascara — you can’t get it off with just soap and water.

There are plenty of expensive, fancy cleansing balms out there. But my pick is the E.L.F. Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm. It’s affordable, works well, is cruelty-free, and comes in a handy travel size.

Travel Essentials for a Beach Vacation

All the items I’ve covered in this beach vacation packing list must be packed into something. These travel essentials are those things, including packing cubes, makeup bags, and liquid containers.

Packing Cubes

Getting high-end compression packing cubes was a major game-changer in my travel packing. I can not believe how much I can fit and how small they compress down!

Peak Design makes the best compression packing cubes on the market, in my opinion. Their passion for making the highest quality products has made me a lifelong customer. I happily pay the higher price for their compression cubes because it’s worth it.

Packing carry-on only means space is a precious resource in my luggage. These compression packing cubes allow me to bring more clothing than typical packing cubes.

If you don’t need compression and just want organization at a lower cost, I’ve used this affordable set for years.

Toiletry Bag

I usually pack two toiletry bags: a clear one for my liquids and another for my non-liquid makeup, makeup brushes, toothbrush, etc.

For the liquids bag, I recommend getting a TSA-approved clear bag with liquid containers. This ensures it’s the correct size for going through airport security.

For the other one, you can get a hanging toiletry bag if you have space in your luggage, and lots of stuff that you want organized. I just use a small, simple makeup bag since it’s easier for me to pack/unpack.

Travel-Size Containers

Travel-sized items are great, but I love reusable silicone containers. They are easy to fill, fit in my liquids bag, and can be compressed when not full.

I typically use them for my sunscreen, aloe, and face wash.

You can get a set of silicone containers on their own or get a clear liquids bag that comes with a set of containers.

Nice-to-Have Beach Vacation Items

If you’re low on space or not interested in “extras,” you can skip this section entirely. These items are nice-to-have but not necessary.

They can make your beach vacation a bit more convenient if you’re able to fit them in your luggage.

Cooler

If you’re planning to spend long days at the beach or by the pool, it might be nice to pack a cooler with lunch, water, and snacks.

Packable coolers are an excellent option for a beach vacation. They fold down flat when not in use and can be quickly opened up for a day at the beach.

Waterproof Phone Pouch

For trips where I’ll be snorkeling or spending lots of time in the sea, I’ll bring a waterproof phone pouch. It keeps my phone completely dry and lets me record underwater videos.

I used one for my first trip to Corfu and got all kinds of cool underwater shots! Plus, it was nice to have my phone with me while swimming instead of leaving it unattended on the beach.

Note: Be sure to follow the included testing instructions before putting your phone inside. This ensures the pouch is working properly.

Wet Bag/Dry Bag

While not necessary, wet bags and dry bags are convenient for travel to coastal destinations. They sound similar, but they each have a different purpose.

Wet Bag: This is where you put wet items, like a swimsuit. It keeps the moisture inside, so your wet swimsuit doesn’t get everything else in your bag damp.
Dry bag: Use this for keeping your items dry while in wet environments. If you’re on a stand-up paddleboard or just hanging out at the beach, a dry bag gives you peace of mind that your important items will stay dry.

Waterproof Sandals

For more laid-back beach vacations without tons of walking, the Reef Water Vista sandals are excellent. They’re cute, easy to put on with Velcro, and fully waterproof.

My only complaint is that I got friction burns on some parts of my feet when I walked 10 miles a day in Italy. They are ideal for exploring small islands and visiting beaches, but not for long days of walking cobblestone streets in Italy.

Kindle

A book at the beach is lovely; a Kindle at the beach is even better. My husband uses a Kindle and loves having hundreds of books to choose from, as well as the anti-glare screen.

Beach Vacation Packing List + Printable Checklist