What to Pack for Puerto Escondido (& What You Can Leave At Home)

Written By Alex Lorenz

Listen, I am just a girl. A girl who travels a ton, wants to look cute, but still has practical outfits for whatever location (likely a beach town or city) that I’m traveling to. And because I MOSTLY only fly standby (thanks, Papa Lorenz for working at United for 40 years!), I’ve become an expert on packing up to two weeks in just a carry-on. 

After years of perfecting everything that I put into my carry-on, I wanted to share a packing list of what you should bring to Puerto Escondido, and what you should leave behind. Because every inch of packing space matters. 

PS: You can find my Puerto Escondido Shopping Essentials links here:

And don’t forget to check out my other helpful Puerto Escondido Links:

Essential Clothing 

Let’s start with the basics. These are going to be pieces you can wear repeatedly, mix and match, and they typically pack down small. 

Monday Barcelona Tunic Oversized linen button-down at sunset in Puerto Escondido

This Barcelona Tunic is a MUST

Linen button-down as a beach cover-up in Puerto Escondido

I’ve worn it 10000x and I will wear it 1000x more!

  • Linen Long Sleeve Button down, preferably oversized - Linen is the perfect breathable fabric, especially in hot weather. I usually bring 1-2 long sleeve button downs because I can wear them when traveling, I can use them as a cover-up at the beach or pool, and I can toss them over any outfit if I feel I need an extra layer at night. I’ve bought over a dozen the past few years, and here are my favorites:

  • Skirts, Shorts, and Skorts - I would pack the following:

  • Tanks & Tees - I usually pack around 5 little tanks and tees that I can mix and match and hopefully not wear a bra with. You don’t have to overthink these too much, something you’re comfortable in! You’re also going to want at least one oversized tee for lounging around or for sleeping in I frequently travel with the below:

  • Bras & Undies & Socks – These actually take up a good amount of space in my luggage! My rule of thumb is to pack double the amount of underwear you’ll need for how many days your trip is, just in case you don’t run into any laundry. Enough socks for each day you’re there (maybe a few extra pairs if you can fit) and a handful of bralettes for me always make my packing cubes. 

  • Dresses - I would pack 1 or 2 dresses, something easy for day trips that’s breezy and one that you feel a bit more fancy in for the nights you want to go out. A girl’s gotta have options!!

  • Pants - I recommend 1-2 pairs of pants max, it’s pretty hot in Puerto Escondido. In the “off” season, it’s really humid, and you’ll be upset if you have a heavy pair of long bottoms on. I recommend a pair of long linen pants or a light trouser. These can serve as your travel pants as well. I recommend the below:

  • Cute THAT OUTFIT Outfits - Because you still want one or two outfits to whip out when you want to go out that are a bit more elevated than just a skirt and tank. Some brands I personally love:

    • Guizo – They have sooo many cute outfits that will work for Puerto Escondido! I tagged the tank I have which is great and holds the girls in

    • Sabo – They’re an Australian brand so you know they know how to make cute beach ‘fits! 

    • Mirror Palais – From the creative brain of Marcelo Gaia, his pieces are so beautiful and are inspired from his Brazilian roots. Definitely investment pieces but one of these in Puerto would make anyone stop and stare

    • Meshki – Another great Aussie brand! More fancy dresses than what Puerto Escondido calls for, but you can find some gems here

    • Dissh - Mentioned earlier, I ordered a bunch of items from here hoping I would hate some but SHOCKER I loved and kept them all. Tons of cute linen pieces that would be great in Puerto. 

Puerto Escondido packing essentials flat lay: sandals, sunscreen, and beach towel

SHOES & SANDALS

With shoes and sandals, I think there are 3 pairs total you should bring:

  • Shoes - One pair of tennis shoes that you travel in that you can wear about for any day trips to town as well. I’ve worn the below pairs through tons of different countries and can confirm, they’re great for 10K+ step days:

    • Nike P6000 - I recently got this colorway which I LOVE

    • New Balance 530’s - So many colorways, I have worn these into the ground. Great for the roads in Puerto!

  • Sandals for Function - You’ll need some sandals for a beach day or for walking into town that are more function than fashion. Something comfy, ideally waterproof, and can be worn for thousands of steps. My recs:

    • Teva Hurricane Drift – I’ve had three versions of these! Super comfy, last forever, and I’ve worn these on a night out in Puerto because of the dirt roads. Love ‘em!

  • Sandals for Fashion - For the nights out where you don’t need to wear a TON of steps. Ideally something like a cute flat or flip flop. My fave brand right now:

    • Dolce Vita – specifically these sandals, which I love, but as you can see they don’t have much support so I can only wear them for a few hours at a time, but they have lots of other sandals with better cushion

SWIM 

Cream bikini packed for Puerto Escondido

drunk bathroom selfies in bikinis are my fave! (monday capri thong, the ,bordeaux top, in ivory, size V) at casa yuma in puerto escondido

Red bikini with linen cover-up for Puerto Escondido

more tan drunk selfies! (monday capri thong & sorrento top in red crinkle size V, montce sarong, monday barcelona tunic)

My favorite part of packing! You’ll obviously need a few different types of swimsuits: 

  • Bikini - At least 2-3 in my opinion, but really you just need one you’re comfortable in! I love the swimsuits from Monday Swimwear because at my age, I need something that fits well and feels a bit more adult. All of my favorites are in my ShopMy!

  • One Piece – Great for boat day if you’re active or if you’re surfing! Something that stays put if you’re playing in the sea. 

  • Sarong – A cute cover up is keeeyyyy! I have a few and recommend bringing 1-2:

    • Monday Cover Up

    • Montce Cover Up

    • Dissh Sarong – I wear this one like a dress and wearing it convinced my friend, who previously didn’t see the use of them, to buy one 

  • Hat – Protect that scalp! I usually wear a baseball hat from my friend’s band, dweller., but it’s very important to protect your scalp from the hot Mexican sun! 

BEAUTY / WELLNESS

Okay, here is where I’m going to rapid fire off some items you’ll need (sunscreen/bug repellent) and also some things I love (hair care, makeup, etc.):

OTHER

Anything that doesn’t fit into the above! 

  • Travel Steamer – only if you have room! If not, you can leave this behind. It does help with all the linen 

  • Packing Cubes – I’ve had these ones from Amazon for years, they really work! 

WHAT YOU DON’T NEED

No need to pack any of the below for your trip to Puerto Escondido;

  • High Heels - the roads are usually sandy or dirt and you’ll find yourself having a hard time in high heels. It’s not really the vibe there, but a cute wedge could work on a night out!

  • Dyson Hair Dryer - the wattage for these things doesn’t fit work in Mexico, you’ll cause a power outage! Make sure to check with your accommodations to make sure they have hair dryers

  • Converters – Same outlets as the US, baby! 

  • Jeans – It’s too hot there for jeans. Just trust me. 

  • Jacket – Same thing here, no need for a jacket. If anything, a travel hoodie would be great!

There you have it! I usually rotate out a few items but this is essentially what I pack for all of my trips (excluding my cameras – new post on that coming soon!). Did I miss anything? What’s a new brand I should try?

Alex Lorenz
Next

Where to Eat and Drink in Puerto Escondido (My Favorites So Far)