Mexico is a huge diverse country that has a lot to offer travelers of all kinds- backpackers, luxury travelers, families, adventure seekers, nature lovers, foodies, digital nomads, cultural enthusiasts, etc. It is home to a variety of natural landscapes, colonial towns, ancient ruins, vibrant cities and is filled with a rich culture and history. When packing for Mexico it really depends on where you will be visiting in the country, however most of the country has a warm and tropical climate so it is best to prepare for the heat and humidity.
20 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE GOING TO MEXICO
I myself am a backpacker so this list will be catered towards my fellow backpack travelers who stay in hostels and are planning on seeing the majority of the country. I have put together a detailed post of my backpacking route here for anyone interested on where to go during their Mexico travels and also made an Ultimate Nature Travel Guide for Mexico full of all the beautiful things natural wonders you can visit while you’re there.
So for those looking to travel Mexico, this packing list is for you:
Table of Contents
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS YOU NEED TO HAVE
On every travel journey, you will always need the following travel essentials to make your life easier.
- Reusable water bottle – most hostels have places to refill your water or you can ask restaurants
- Microfiber towel – to quickly dry after all your water adventures
- Fannypack – to keep your important items close
- ATM fee free debit card + travel credit card – to skip paying withdraw fees from ATM’s and get points for money you’re already spending so you can travel more in the future
- First aid kit just incase anything happens, I always pack Neosporin
- Power adapter – necessary unless you are from the United States
- Portable charger – to charge your phone and other electronics on the go
- Locks – to lock up your bags in your hostel lockers
- Personal safety alarm – especially for solo female travelers this is a necessity
- Packing cubes – to keep all your clothing separated so you can easily access it and pack
PACKING TIPS FOR MEXICO
Ideally packing items that can be used for many things (ex. a tshirt can be used for sleeping, everyday wear, and a beach cover up) is the best way to prevent yourself from over packing, especially if you will be backpacking through the country. Stick to basic items that can be easily interchanged to work with multiple outfits!
You don’t really need fancy clothes in Mexico as everyone dresses pretty casual anyway. Plus, the fancier you dress, the more attention you draw to yourself and money signs people will see when they look at you which will increase your chances of being scammed. A cute sundress will always work although in places like Tulum, you will see a lot of people dress fancier especially those you stay in the hotel zone / more expensive part.
Two things other people suggest packing for Mexico that I didn’t have or truly need: a rain jacket and bug spray. I traveled during Mexico’s rainy season and it only really rained at night and when it rained during the day, I didn’t really mind getting rained on! However, if you want to avoid having wet clothes and you do mind getting rained on them maybe bring a rain jacket. The same goes for bug spray, I don’t really use it because I am not always bit by bugs like my other friends, however if you know mosquitos love you, it might be best to pack some.
CLOTHES TO PACK FOR MEXICO
Obviously you’ll need to pack the basics like underwear, socks and bras, but depending on where you are visiting in Mexico you will need to bring different things.
For coastal towns….
When visiting a coastal town, it’s important to pack clothes that will keep you comfortable and protected from the sun and wind. In general, you’ll want to pack light layers that can be easily adjusted to changing temperatures. Some good items to pack include a hat (I packed a bucket hat and a baseball hat), swimsuits, sundresses or skirts, a quick drying microfiber towel, sunglasses, reef safe sunscreen, a light jacket, and sandals with straps. All the following would be great to pack if you are planning on visiting the coastal towns on Pacific side of Mexico like Sayulita and Puerto Escondido and also Riviera Maya.
I would try to avoid your bikinis throughout the town as most locals tend to dress more conservatively, so make sure to have a coverup to put on after you hit the beach or cenotes. If you plan on doing a lot of surfing I highly suggest bringing a hat suitable for the water, surf zinc and a long sleeve rash guard as well to protect yourself from the strong sun.
Don’t forget to bring other essentials like a snorkel mask, a dry bag, a water pouch for your phone, some moisturizer for your after water adventures, a book to read by the beach and maybe some bug spray.
For cities and mountainous towns…
When visiting the cities in Mexico, especially chilly cities like Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca City, San Jose del Pacifico, Monterey, and San Cristobal de las Casas you will need to pack some extra layers as the weather can get quite cold sometimes (especially at night and towards the winter season). Be sure to pack some sneakers, pants (jeans are great as well), a long sleeve, and a jacket.
For hiking..
If you plan on hiking the many mountains and volcanoes in Mexico you will definitely need to pack athletic wear and appropriate shoes for hiking. I personally brought my Brooks trail running shoes and they did well on every hike! I did hikes up Popocatepetl, Nevado de Toluca, Malinche, and hikes near Monterey (I didn’t go all the way to the top of the volcanoes as they require climbing gear and special hiking shoes).
ELECTRONICS TO BRING
Mexico is SO beautiful so you will want to bring cameras to be able to capture all the beauty the country has to offer and a tripod if you will be solo traveling. I highly suggest bringing a camera to capture everything on land and a Gopro to capture the beauty below the surface. The Gopro is also useful for cenote adventures, waterfalls and anything else that requires a waterproof camera. I personally have the Hero 10 and it captures beautiful underwater videos!
You will also need the travel essentials I mentioned at the beginning like a power adapter and a portable charger. If you are more of an online reader, pack a Kindle so you can avoid lugging books around.
WHAT I PACKED FOR 5 MONTHS IN MEXICO:
Tops:
- 2 long sleeve shirts (1 tshirt material to wear for sunny days and 1 thermal material for hiking and mountainous cities)
- 3 padded tank tops and 4 tank tops
- 3 big tshirts + 1 cropped tshirt
- 3 dresses (2 casual dresses and one nicer dress for going out)
- 2 overalls (1 jean and 1 cotton one- probably could have only had 1 and been fine)
- 2 jackets (1 black zip up jacket and an oversized hoodie)
- 1 flannel
Pants:
- 1 pair of sweatpants
- 1 pair of jeans (wasnt necesaary and only wore them in cities)
- 1 pair of cargo pants
- 1 wrap skirt / sarong
- 1 pair of leggings (only used them for hiking)
- 2 pairs of jean shorts (could have probably just had one and been fine)
- 2 pairs of cute casual comfy shorts
- 1 pair of exercise shorts
Other things I packed:
- snorkeling mask
- tote bag (for grocery shopping and dirty laundry)
- a dry bag (just incase it rained so I could protect my camera gear)
- many many many bikinis lol
- a surf rash guard (I was able to surf everyday and go on surf trips for free when I volunteered at this hostel in Sayulita)
- 3 hats (1 waterproof baseball hat, a bucket hat and I got a beanie for the hiking/camping I was doing)
- a pair of wool socks for colder places
- a microfiber towel
- my reusable water bottle
- 3 pairs of shoes (running shoes, sandals with straps, and a casual shoe aka my van slip ons)
- extra hair ties
- earphones
- my fannypack (to carry my money, passport, hand sanitizer, and chapstick)
Basically everything I listed on this post is everything I actually brought with me and used! So I hope this post gives you a better idea of what you should be packing for Mexico.
Happy traveling! I hope you love Mexico just as much as I do now! Feel free to connect with me on social media if you haven’t already so I can see your beautiful Mexico adventures, my socials are all @monicaroams 🙂
