We've all been there...just finished packing for our next adventure and you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach..."what if I am forgetting something important?" No one wants to arrive in paradise without their toothbrush!
If your next destination is to Mexico, and you are at a loss of what to bring with you, this post is for you! Warning, this is not the post that is going to remind you to pack deodorant, your toothbrush, clean underwear and other basic travel necessities (you can check my basic travel posts for those) this post specifically will be covering items that will come in handy when you are down in Mexico!
Buckle up ladies and gents here comes your Top Ten Travel Items that you will want to have with you in Mexico.
Bug Spray AND Treatment Cream
Spray: Mexico has a lot of jungle. With the jungle comes bugs...a lot of them. The last thing you need on your vacation is to be covered in itchy welts, let alone potentially catching some kind of rare disease. Bug spray comes in handy with this. Apply it like you would sunscreen, before you leave the house and reapply throughout the day. When we were in Mexico, a local recommended this brand to my boyfriend and I : Picaridin Insect Repellent Lotion. She said it was the only kind that ever worked for her. Up until that point we were being devoured by mosquitos; after application we did not get another bite the entire trip.
What it looks like: (image taken from Google)
Where to get it: You can find this lotion at any of the following locations:
Amazon
Target
Walgreens
Walmart
Treatment: Everyone always remembers to bring the buy spray, but no one ever thinks to bring something to treat the bites if the spray doesn't work. Now like I said, this lotion worked like a charm for us but prior to us having it I was thankful that we had Sting Kill Swabs with us. These magic little tubes contain Benzocaine and Menthol and work SUPER FAST to relieve burning and itching. On this trip I just used them for my mosquito bites, but in the past I have used them for bee stings as well. They are even said to work on jellyfish stings (which can be present in Mexico). I highly recommend have a few of these bad boys in your bag on your next trip to Mexico.
What they look like: (image taken off of Google)
Where you can find them: I bought mine at a local grocery store. Most local grocery and convenience stores have them. As well as most pharmacies. If you have no luck any of those places, it is also available on Amazon.
2. Sunscreen (Reef Friendly is a MUST)
Being closer to the equator, the sun is going to be stronger, that means your skin is going to need some extra protection. Sunscreen is usually a must have for any tropical destination but what you need to know about sunscreen in Mexico is that it needs to be safe for their coral reefs. Did you know that Mexico is home to the 2nd largest coral reef in the world? In addition to that, a lot of places in Mexico are very protective of their marine life, and that means making sure you are not polluting the water when you go in it. Did you know that a lot of sunscreens are damaging to the coral reefs? Kaitlyn Bra does a great job of summarizing how in her blog, Sustainable Travel International. She discusses how a majority of sunscreens contain a chemical called Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3). She goes on to say, "These chemicals can lead to coral bleaching, damage the DNA of corals, and increase abnormal growth and deformities."
What can you do about it? Be sure to buy and use sunscreen that is reef friendly. How do you know if a sunscreen is reef friendly? Look for reef safe labels. Any sunscreen that is reef safe will either have some sort of reef safe label on it or will describe it as eco-friendly and biodegradable. Different brands sometimes have different labels. Another thing you can do is check the location of where you are going, and if there are water activities they usually offer a list of approved sunscreens.
What it looks like: Although a lot of labels are different, one that I have seen on various sunscreens looks like this:
(image taken from GOOGLE)
Where can you get it: You can buy these sunscreens in the same places you buy regular sunscreens. Local pharmacies, CVS, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Grocery stores. They should be readily available.
Having this in your travel kit will make it less stressful for you because you will be able to enjoy the waters without a second thought, and it is better for the environment. It is a win win, help keep our waters clean so you can see amazing creatures like this.
3. Aloe (it's going to happen)
I know I know, you're wondering why I am having you pack the aloe if I told you to bring sunscreen to avoid getting burned. Let's keep it real...it's going to happen. You're going to forget to reapply one time or even if you do so religiously, I am telling you that sun hits different closer to the equator. Nothing feels better on your hot, dry, tired skin than some soothing aloe! PRO TIP, keep it in the fridge so when you put it on it delivers a nice blast of cool refreshingness all over your skin. Aloe is the perfect hydration for your sun soaked skin and I promise you will not regret bringing it.
What does it look like: In case you have never used Aloe before this is what it looks like:
(image taken from GOOGLE)
Where can you buy it: As with the previous items this can be found in your local grocery stores, pharmacies or stores like Target and Walmart. These are usually located with or right next to the sunscreen section.
4. Pesos
When traveling in Mexico one thing you are definitely going to need is some Pesos. When you are in a bigger town like Tulum or Cancun, a lot of places will accept cards or dollars as a payment method, but be warned. The conversion rate is not always as good as it should be, and there will be times when you are losing money. Also, even in those bigger places, and definitely in smaller towns, like Valladolid, there are a lot of places that do not accept cards or dollars. If you want to be able to enjoy those places, or not have to worry about not having a way to pay I always recommend having some pesos on hand. We also recommend getting your money exchanged BEFORE you go on vacation. It just saves you the hassle of having to find a place once you're down there. For us, it was an adventure trying to find a place that would do the conversion for dollars, once we ran out of pesos, so make sure you have a good amount with you before you go.
What they look like: Pesos are actually kind of pretty ,I think, below you can find an image of what they look like, in case you have never seen them.
(Image taken from GOOGLE; just to show you what some of the pesos would look like).
Where do you get them: If you are exchanging your money before you leave for the trip you can use a money service company. We used Foreign Currency Express. You could go to a bank and do it as well, but they do not always give you the best conversion rates. For example, through Foreign Money Express our exchange rate was 19.5 pesos for one dollar, at the bank it 18 pesos for one dollar.
If you run out of pesos and need to do it while you are in Mexico you need to either go to a financial corporation, like Elektra, or look for money exchange booths and services. Be sure to check the conversion rates of a few before just selecting one to make sure you are getting the best deal.
5. Comfortable walking shoes
I know it is tempting to wear the cute shoes to get the nice photos, but let me tell you...those comfortable walking shoes are going to be your best friend on your trip to Mexico. Mexico has a lot of jungle, a lot of beach, and some rough roads...none of which scream a good place for high heels. This could differ depending on where you go, if you plan on spending your whole trip in a resort or in a major city like Cancun you go for it! But in places like Tulum and Valladolid, leave the cute shoes at home. Or if you must have the cute shot, you can do what I did. I wore the comfortable shoes for the journey, and carried a cute little backpack with my nice shoes in it. When we got to our photo destination I slapped those babies on, took the cute photo, and then went back to my comfies. Extra? Perhaps. Ingenious and totally worth it? Definitely! My feet didn't kill me and I still got the shot!
I will post blogs that more specifically focus on particular places and how they look and what to wear there in case you need ideas for which places you can get away with the cute shoes and which places you can't. But honestly, when in Mexico dress for comfort. And side note, in Tulum there are quite a few places where they actually want you to take your shoes off, so you don't need to worry about the heels there.
What does it look like: We all know shoes right? For comfy shoes I would recommend the following:
Sneakers or tennis shoes
Water shoes
Comfortable sandals
But y'all know your feet best! Wear what you know you can walk in for a while without feeling like your feet are going to fall off.
Where can you get them:
Shoe stores
Amazon
Walmart
You guys know the drill!
6. Water Shoes
Keeping in line with the shoe theme, let's talk about water shoes. I have a love hate relationship with these babies. For starters I have yet to find a pair that actually look good, and two I hate how they squeeze my poor little feet. With that being said, they are life savers when you are exploring jungles, rocky beaches, and slippery cenotes. We actually had a friend, that we met while down there, who broke her toe while exploring a rocky beach. She was barefoot, slipped and smashed her toe. Water shoes could have helped her out there! Not saying that to scare you out of exploration, just letting you see how easy it is to have a whoops and being prepared can save you a lot of stress and accidents.
Something that I like to do, similar with my cute shoes hack, is I always bring the shoes with me in my little bag. That way I can assess when I am at the location whether I think I can rock it barefoot or whether I should put those bad boys on. And it also really depends on your comfortability level. For example at certain cenotes like: Ik Kil, Saamal, and Secreto Maya I did not think it was necessary to wear the water shoes because it was not rocky and the water was so deep you didn't have to worry about stepping on a rocky bottom. However, my boyfriend wore his for all of these cenotes because the walk down to the cenotes can be very slimy and slippery; and to his credit he was able to get down there a lot faster than me because of it. He is also adventurous and likes to jump off the sides into them, and to prevent himself from slipping while doing that, water shoes were a good choice.
What do they look like: again pretty self explanatory but just in case you've never seen them here is an image of a basic water shoe. (Image taken from Google)
Where do you get them: You can order these babies off of Amazon or go to a local store like Walmart and find them as well.
Be sure to pack these in your bags so you can explore beautiful places like this worry free.
7. Waterproof Phone Case
This one is a bit of a luxury item but will be so worth the splurge. A quality underwater phone case is perfect for any of your water adventures! On our trip we spent so much time in the ocean or in cenotes, and it would have been such a bummer to not have been able to get half of the pictures that we did because of fearing of getting our phones wet. If you have other equipment like GoPros you may not feel this item is a necessity, but honestly we ended up getting more underwater footage with our phones than we did on the GoPro.
We utilized this case when we went on our snorkeling adventures and when we were swimming in cenotes. Why just get images from outside of the cenote or on the boat when you could get images inside the cenote or under the ocean waves! Check out some of these shots that we got with our phones!
(in the Cenote looking up)
(inside of the cenote)
(inside of the cenote looking out)
What it looks like: So the case that we chose to buy looks like this:
(screengrab of an image taken off Amazon)
This is called AICase Universal Waterproof Underwater Photography Housings.
Where to buy it: Like I said up top, we purchased this from Amazon. Quick Tip: Be sure to buy the one made of metal not plastic, as the one with metal works better and doesn't let any water in. The plastic one is not as good. Also when taking photos with it you can either push that photo button on the side or you can physically tap your screen, just remember you have to tap pretty hard to get through the screen protecting layer.
8. A Hat
A hat is a staple item you will need in Mexico. That sun is strong and there are a lot of places that will not offer you a lot of shade. The hat helps protect your scalp (which yes does burn) and your face from the powerful sun rays. Plus it helps complete any cute outfit!
What it looks like: There are a variety of styles of hats, you select the one that works for you. Whether its a baseball cap, or nice big floppy beach hat...your style preference is entirely your choice.
Where to buy it: Most clothing stores sell hats. Or you can always go to trusty places like Target and Walmart that sell a variety of items.
9. Bandaids and Neosporin
You may be thinking that you are not a clumsy person and you don't need this item but let me tell you it comes in handy. Especially if there are multiple people in your group, someone is bound to need a bandaid at some point. On our last trip I literally stubbed my toe so bad that it bust open at the bottom, luckily I had the Neosporin to keep it clean and the bandaid to hold it together. It is perfect for any minor cuts or scrapes that you acquire along your journey. Not to mention that it has non traditional uses too. For example, got a hangnail that you can't stop picking at? Put a bandaid on it. Got a bug bite that you can't seem to resist scratching, put a bandaid on it. Got a tiny cut from something and worried it will get infected? Slap some Neosporin on it. These two first aid kit basics are a great thing to have in your travel toolkit.
What does it look like: I never want to assume things here at StephintotheUnknown, so even though Bandaids and Neosporin are common items I have included images of them down below in case anyone has never seen or used them before. Also please note that I am not a medical doctor and I am not giving any medical advice here in this blog today, just giving recommendations based off of my experiences.
(Images taken off of Google)
Where can I buy it: any local pharmacy or grocery store should have these items for you.
10. Baby Powder
This next item may stump a lot of you, but for those of you who suffer from similar travel issues as me, you will thank me later. Baby powder helps protect you against one of most undesirable things that can happen on vacation....chafe. If you don't know what chafing is, consider yourself lucky. Those of you who suffer like my poor thighs, baby powder is your savior. For me it happens right around day 3-4 of walking around sweating, in a swimsuit all day. And there isn't much you can do once it has started, except wear pants. Which who wants to do in 90 degree heat with high humidity am I right!?
Before you go out for the day apply some baby powder to the affected area and when your thighs rub together; its like they slide right off one another rather than aggressively smashing into one another over and over again. I also use it on the underside of my arm, because somehow I am lucky enough to chafe there as well! Just be sure you rub it in nicely so that it does not get on your clothes. Usually I dressed first and then carefully applied it to my skin around my clothing.
What it looks like: While the image below is of a Johnson and Johnson baby powder I do not recommend a specific brand. I think any kind will do. While in Mexico, I just bought a local brand at the grocery store when I needed it.
(Image taken off of Google)
Where can I buy it: Like most of the items on this list, this item can be found in most pharmacies and grocery stores.
Well there you have it! Those are your Top Ten Travel Items you will need on your next trip to Mexico. I hope you enjoyed the list, and found value in the information provided. If you have any questions shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram, I am more than happy to answer any questions related to the list! Until then happy traveling!
Until next time,
Steph
References:
Bra, K. (2020, October 29). Sunscreen is damaging our coral reefs – how can we protect them and our skin? Sustainable Travel International. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://sustainabletravel.org/safe-sunscreen-coral-reefs/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20main%20culprits,increase%20abnormal%20growth%20and%20deformities.
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