If you are planning a trip to Mexico and trying to pack your bag, this article is for you!
As a frequent traveller and tour leader, I learnt how to pack my backpack in the most efficient way and always try to take the items I think I’ll need the most and will make my trip as comfortable as it can be.
In this post, you will find a list of items you will need while exploring Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
While these are highly recommended, it’s obviously up to you to see if you can take them and if they are relevant to your trip as well.
So, are you ready to start?
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!
1. Beach Poncho
A beach poncho is a microfiber poncho that you can put on after going in the water. It’s also very useful when you need to quickly change into your swimwear but can’t find toilets around.
This is an item that has never left my backpack since I got it. I find it incredibly useful when visiting beach destinations such as Mexico, Costa Rica or Cuba.
It’s very comfortable to wear and even has a hood which can dry your hair or protect you from the sun.
In Mexico, I found it particularly useful after snorkelling tours and on boat trips. Usually, you will go for a swim or snorkelling and when the boat starts again, it can be a bit cold with the wind so having the poncho is very handy.
It’s also practical because you can walk around with it and you don’t need to put your clothes back on a wet bikini.
There are many beach ponchos available but I particularly recommend Dock & Bay since the quality is amazing.
2. Water Shoes
You will be visiting a few cenotes during your trip to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and it’s not always comfortable (or even safe) to walk barefoot so I highly recommend taking a pair of watershoes with you.
I’ll admit, they are not the nicest looking shoes but they will come in so handy!
You can also use them if you go to Xplor theme park or kayak in Bacalar.
3. Microfiber Beach Towel
You will be spending a lot of time in the water, whether it’s at the beach or in a cenote. For this reason, you need a good towel.
I particularly recommend getting a microfiber beach towel because they dry quickly and take a lot less room in your bag.
4. Eco-friendly sunscreen
A lot of places in Mexico (especially the cenotes and ecoparks) don’t allow sunscreen. This is to protect the environment and make sure you’re not swimming in a sea of sunscreen.
Most of them do allow eco-friendly sunscreen so it’s a good thing to have.
Some of these places (like Kaan Luum Lagoon) don’t have a lot of shade and if you stay for a few hours, you will get sunburnt.
5. UV Shirt or Rash guard
Again, the UV index in Mexico is very high and getting sunburnt is a common thing. I recommend taking a UV shirt or a rash guard so you can put it on in places that don’t allow sunscreen.
While the eco-friendly sunscreen is always good to have, it will go away if you stay in the water for a while.
Once you are in the water, you don’t realise it’s hot but the UV rays are getting through just as much (even more actually because of the reflection on the water).
For this reason, having a UV shirt will come in very handy.
6. Hat
Once again, you need something to protect you from the sun. As previously mentioned, the sun is very strong and it gets very hot, especially in places like Tulum Ruins.
Wearing a hat is essential. Not only will it protect your head from sunburns (yes, we can get sunburns on our head, even if we have hair) but it will also cool your body down. This decreases the risk of sun stroke a lot.
7. Surfing shorts
This one may surprise you because Mexico is not much of a surfing destination but let me make my point!
Surfing shorts are incredibly practical when you go to a beach destination. They are very comfortable and they dry very quickly. This is ideal for places like Mexico because you will go in the water a lot.
This means you can wear it on top of a wet bikini and it doesn’t look wet. It’s also practical because in certain cases you may want to keep your shorts on.
For example, when I visited Xplor, I kept my surfing shorts on all the time.
8. Comfortable sandals
In most places, the ground is quite uneven in Mexico but since it’s hot, very often you will want to wear open toe shoes.
For this reason I recommend wearing comfortable sandals such as Teva or any other model that has a thick sole.
This will help when you walk on dirt roads and rocky areas.
9. Trainers
Although you won’t go on many hikes in the Yucatan peninsula, there are still some areas where it’s better to wear trainers. I personally always opt for Converses since they are comfortable and don’t look too sporty but it’s up to you!
The main one is Chichen Itza. You may just have seen the photo of the pyramid on social media but Chichen Itza is actually a full city.
Ek Balam is another Mayan site where it’s preferable to wear trainers.
I also particularly recommend them to walk around Valladolid since most of the streets are paved or places like Holbox since they are dirt roads.
10. Snorkel
The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the best places in the world for snorkelling. There are so many places where you can go snorkelling and see turtles, starfish, stingrays and more.
To access these places, you may need to book a boat tour and that means they would provide the snorkelling gear but in a lot of cases, you can go from the beach.
If you have a snorkel (which is a very cheap thing to get), you will see a lot more and save money since you don’t have to rent it.
Even if you go on a tour that provides snorkels, it’s always more comfortable to have your own.
11. Waterproof Camera (GoPro or Insta 360)
This one is not technically an essential but it’s something you’ll be very happy to have.
You will be spending a lot of time in the water in Mexico and that means you can’t take your phone. Of course, you can use the waterproof pouch but it’s not always practical.
If you can get a GoPro or an Insta 360 camera, you’ll be able to get beautiful videos and photos while you snorkel or go on adventures.
Also, it’s very practical because you can simply film and not worry about taking the pictures at the right time. It allows you to enjoy the experience a lot more.
12. Waterproof pouch for your phone
Now since buying a waterproof camera may not be in your budget, I highly recommend getting a waterproof pouch for your phone.
This means you will be able to take your phone while you do water activities such as going to the beach, kayaking and boat tours but also underwater.
I’ll admit, when you are under water it’s not as practical as a GoPro but it’s great when you are out of the water but with a risk of splash.
I hope this article has helped you pack your bag for Mexico. If you need any more information about the Yucatan peninsula, don’t hesitate to check out our other articles.
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