12 Must Haves for Your Cancun Packing List

My family of three went on a 10-day trip to Cancun during June 2023. We flew to Cancun and then did a roadtrip of the Yucatan Peninsula. We stayed in Cancun, Akumal, Uxmal, and Merida. Read on to learn about the 12 must have items you need on your Cancun packing list.

View of the jungle, pool, and Uxmal from the top of the Uxmal Maya Resort — Uxmal Maya Resort, Uxmal, Mexico

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Sunscreen

I burn easily, so I always pack sunscreen. In the Maya Riveria, you should plan to use reef safe sunscreen because it is required. No one ever checked our sunscreen, but I was a guest in Mexico. Whenever I travel, I try to abide by local norms and requests. Therefore, I used Badger Reef Safe Sunscreen and Badger Sunscreen Lip Balm.

I suggest buying the 2-pack of sunscreen because my group of three almost ran out of our one bottle on our 10-day trip. Also, be sure to reapply often even on non-beach days. I got a nasty sunburn on a non-beach day because I forgot to reapply.

And don’t forget about your lips! I bought one lip balm for each member of my group and they were responsible for carrying their lip balm.

Insect Repellent

If you plan to visit Mayan ruins or otherwise go into the jungle, you will need insect repellent. I brought biodegradable insect repellent by Ranger Ready and didn’t have any issues with bugs. I like that it comes in small containers that are to easy pack for the day or in carry-on luggage.

Water Shoes

Our trip to Cancun was our first major trip with a lot of water and beaches, and of course, cenotes. I highly recommend these water shoes for a water-based trip. They are inexpensive and pack a lot of value for the price.

These shoes are designed with drainage holes in the bottom to keep your feet comfortable in or out of the water. The insoles are removable, which helps with rinsing out the sand and for drying quickly. The best part is that these shoes come in a ton of colors and sizes. You can find different colors for each member of your group and sizes for everyone wearing adult-sized shoes.

Waterproof Phone Pouch

The blue waters in a cenote — A cenote at Aktun Chen near Akumal, Mexico

There are so many water-based activitivies in and around Cancun that you must have a waterproof phone pouches for each member of your group. The Pelican brand is super easy to use and its design makes it quick to dry. I bought a third pouch at a discount store, but it had a roll-up design which was harder to use and harder to dry. Both models kept our devices dry and allowed us to take plenty of water photos, but I defintely prefer the Pelican brand.

Microfiber Towels

For any trip longer than an extended weekend, I pack at least one microfiber towel. For longer trips, I usually do sink laundry and use the towel to help squeeze out excess water from our clothes. I have also encountered enough hotel staff that scoff when I ask for extra towels that I just pack an extra.

But, if you are going on a beach vacation and not staying at a resort, then you will want to be sure to bring a towel for each member of your group. You will also need your own towel at cenotes. I like the Rainleaf Microfiber Towel because these towels take up very little space in a suitcase and dry quickly. They also came in handy for sitting on the beach.

Swim Mask and Goggles

A set of goggles, lenses from prescritpion glasses, and Gorilla glue — Homemade prescription swim goggles

Most people do not need to buy their own snorkling gear or give up precious suitcase space for it. My child, however, needs her glasses to see and is uninterested in contact lenses. Enter prescription goggles or swim masks for snorkling. She needed both on this trip. I have bought several pairs of prescription goggles at Swim Outlet over the years, so she had a pair of goggles for the trip already.

I did not think to buy her a swim mask though until the day before we departed! I ran to Target and bought a swim mask that I modified. I removed the lenses from her last pair of glasses and used Gorilla Glue to adhere them into the mask. It didn’t look great, the prescription was a bit off, but it did the trick.

If I ever plan another trip where a swim mask is needed, I will be sure to order one well in advance from Swim Outlet. Their prices are inexpensive and allow my kid to experience the same views as us.

A Drawstring Bucket Hat

The author's face with the turqoise water of Isla Mujeres in the background — The author standing in the waters of Isla Mujeres

I bought this drawstring bucket hat for our trip. The hat comes in a variety of colors and packs up small for your suitcase or your day bag. The drawstrings are great to keep the hat on when it is windy (see photo). This hat has venting to help keep you cooler, too. And finally, the design keeps your face, ears, and neck shaded so you do not need to reapply your sunscreen as often (and helps if you forget to reapply your sunscreen).

Action Camera

If you don’t already have an action camera, a trip to Cancun is a perfect excuse to try one out. We used ours at the beaches, cenotes, and Mayan ruins. We did not want to invest in a GoPro without knowing how much use we would get out of it. Instead, I found the AKASO Brave 4 Pro priced at about $100, which served our purposes. The kit also came with plenty of supplies to get the best use out of the camera.

Portable Power Bank

You will want to have a charged portable power bank with you. We traveled around the Yucatan Peninsula and did not want to be left with no phone battery.

A Map

I always buy a map for any travel that includes venturing outside of a major city. We used the Yucatan Peninsula: Riviera Maya Map by National Geographic for this trip.

Toilet Tissue

I hesitate to even list toilet tissue on this list because we had access to toilet paper everywhere we went. We visited heavy-tourist areas and areas less traveled. However, we also visited Playa Puerto Progreso, a beach-town north of Merida. If we bought drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, we could use a table, chairs, and umbrella for as long as we wanted AND we would get access to the changing rooms and bathrooms. The bathroom had an attendand who gave you a few squares of toilet paper. In this case, I had enough toilet paper, but you might be more comfortable having some extra on you just in case.

Travel Umbrella

Uxmal pyramid — An umbrella is useful for places with little shade, like Uxmal Pyramid

We only used our umbrellas for rain once on this trip. Our umbrellas came in handy to provide shade at Uxmal. I always pack whatever umbrellas are on their last leg for vacation, so if they can be tossed for space if needed. However, I have run out of one-more-use umbrellas and will likely buy an UV sun umbrella that also works for rain. It has overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Cancun Packing List

This Cancun packing list is by no means exhaustive. It only covers the 12 items that you need beyond what you might typically pack for a beach vacation.

✅Add these 12 items to your Cancun packing list: