So you’re leaving your (likely cold) home for the Caribbean. Whether your flight leaves tomorrow, next week or next month, check out all of our tips for packing for the Caribbean so you can have an amazing experience and feel comfortable on your vacation. Whether you’re visiting Belize, Jamaica or St. John, this Caribbean packing list will help you prepare.
Checked Bag Vs. Carry On
The age old debate – to check or not to check. Personally, we’re a fan of packing one checked bag for the two of us. We fly on budget airlines so that typically saves us money. Plus, then we don’t have to carry things around the airport or worry about pulling out liquids when going through security.
If you are planning on flying with lots of gear, like snorkel or scuba equipment, you’ll need a checked bag. However, if you aren’t, you could totally get by on a carry-on with all the small and compact clothing you’ll need.
Regardless of whether you check a bag or not, I’m newly in love with our stuff sack backpack. I packed all of our clothes for 9 days in the Caribbean in it and it was my under the seat item. Bonus: it’s also a dry bag. So weather you’re using this awesome bag or a backpack of your own, we always pack as many clothes as we can in our under the seat item just in case our checked bag, including those sometimes mandatory plane side checked carryons, gets lost in the mix.
Caribbean Packing List
Clothes
Packing clothes for the Caribbean is easy! At least compared to other destinations. This is because whenever you visit the Caribbean, you’ll have consistent temperatures. Temperatures usually only vary by 10-15 F in the course of a 24 hour period. So check the weather for the time you’re visiting and pack for that lovely consistent temperature.
You do not need fancy clothes for the Caribbean (unless you’re visiting a resort that requires it). People are so chill in the Caribbean – which is why it’s such a great vacation destination. You’ll also want to find lightweight and breathable clothing as the humidity in the Caribbean ranges from high to extremely sweaty.
For undergarments, I always pack about one and a half times as many as I think I need in the Caribbean. This is because we really like taking showers each night before going out (due to all the daytime sweating/swimming). So for a week, I pack 10 days worth of undergarments so we can have fresh ones after showers.
For PJs, if you pack them, make sure they are lightweight. Most properties in the Caribbean don’t use A/C to the fullest so you’ll likely be sleeping in warmer temperatures than usual.
For outerwear, everyone needs a rain jacket. It rains pretty regularly, even in the dry season. So you’ll need a lightweight rain jacket that you can easily layer when it starts to rain.
Check out the details below for a one week Caribbean packing list.
Women’s Caribbean Packing List
I like packing 2 lightweight casual dresses. They are easy to dress up, if I so choose, and also very breathable in the heat. I then toss in two pairs of shorts, one light and one dark. For tops, I pack 4 casual lightweight tops.
If we plan on doing active hiking or other adventurous type activities, I always bring moisture wicking leggings and a sports bra for each day those “extreme sweating” activities are planned.
Men’s Caribbean Packing List
For men, Scott likes to pack 3 pairs of lightweight shorts. Scott loves these Gerry brand shorts which are great for activities and casual wear. For shirts, you’ll need 6 lightweight tshirts. We always pack one collared shirt, should we so choose to go out for a fancier dinner. Then throw in at least one moisture wicking shirt for either extreme activities or if you find you’re an extreme sweater. (Can you tell yet that the Caribbean is hot?)
Footware
There is no need for socks and shoes in the Caribbean. I like to live my life without socks and the Caribbean is the perfect place for that. Instead, we’d recommend a pair of nice sandals, a pair of “hiking sandals” or sandals that your feet strap into really securely and a pair of water shoes that double as walking shoes.
However, if you do have bad feet/knees/back, it is always a good idea to bring a pair of good walking shoes and – begrudgingly – socks.
Beachware
You’ll likely be in the water a lot, either at the pool or at the ocean. So we would recommend packing 3 swimsuits. Women will need one coverup.
For the beach, you’ll also need a towel. And while beach towels are nice, for traveling we prefer these quick dry towels. They take up less space in your suitcase and dry quickly so you only need the one. Lots of accommodations include beach towels. However, we always pack one of our own for those days in between hotels when we don’t have access to one.
Don’t forget to pack your sunglasses, sun shirts and hats to protect yourself from the more extreme Caribbean sun.
Some beaches don’t allow it, but on other beaches it’s a great idea to bring a portable waterproof speaker. We love this one – you can even get multiple and pair them all for more sound.
Toiletries
You’ll want to add all your own toiletries to your Caribbean packing list. It can be really hard to find a large variety of personal car products in Caribbean countries and what you do find is generally pricey. So make sure to pack your own hair, face, makeup, teeth and health related products. We like packing travel sized in these refillable travel sized containers.
Additionally, you’ll likely need a full sized bottle of reef friendly sunscreen – since you’ll want to wear sunscreen even when you aren’t at the beach. It’s always a good idea to bring bug spray as well. Mosquitos in most Caribbean countries can be bad at certain times of the year. So it’s always good to bring strong DEET based bug spray with you.
Gadgets
We’re always torn on the camera kit to put on our Caribbean packing list. First, there are great views so you want to capture them with the best equipment possible. However, do you really want to lug your camera and lenses about on beaches and in the muddy rainforest? We generally don’t. So for camera gear we pack our GoPro, with scuba case, our phones, with waterproof bags, and possibly our camera with our standard lens. Drones are generally not allowed on beaches, so you can leave those at home. Don’t forget extra charger/batteries for your camera gear.
Lastly, you may want some toys for your flight. We bring our noise cancelling headphones and our phones and that is it. No need to pack your computers or tablets – it’s just at risk of getting ruined or stolen.
Travel adapters are needed for a few Caribbean islands. We love this universal adapter.
Technical Stuff
Don’t forget the proper identification for your Caribbean vacation. Most Caribbean destinations require a passport (U.S. citizens can visit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands without one) and some require a visa. Make sure you check with the tourism department for your destination to see if you need to apply for a visa ahead of time.
If you are renting a car, you will need a driver’s license. Most Caribbean countries only require a driver’s license in English to rent a car, as even in Spanish speaking countries English speaking tourists are common. However, make sure to check with your rental car company to see if you need an international diver’s license.
Cash is much more common in Caribbean countries than in the U.S. or European countries. Make sure you have plenty of cash with you or have a card that allows you to withdraw from foreign ATMs without extra fees. All major cities, including those in the Caribbean take credit cards. We always plan to spend about $50USD/day in cash and put the rest on our credit cards. This seems to have worked out well for us in recent years.
Additionally, we always print out paper confirmations of everything for international vacations. We travel without cell service so it’s always a good idea to have paper copies in case WiFi isn’t available when you need it.
Speciality Gear
We absolutely love the water and all water sports. Which means we have our own snorkeling gear and we take it on all beach vacations with us. We have gear that doubles for scuba diving gear. However, you can also get the more compact and lightweight snorkel gear for travel.
Additionally, with all this water, and the potential rainstorms, you’ll want to pack a dry bag and a water resistant case for your phone. This will help you keep your gear dry on the beach or in the rainforest.
We always bring our hydration backpacks with us on vacation as well as our collapsible water bottles. Staying hydrated isn’t really “speciality gear” but lots of people fail to bring this with them on Caribbean vacations and wind up paying for water. This costs money and isn’t great for the environment so make sure to bring your reusable hydration gear.
If you are going to be going on a boat of any kind – think sunset catamaran cruise – you should bring motion sickness medicine. The Caribbean Sea is generally calm but that doesn’t mean there aren’t significant waves. I love these motion sickness wristbands as well.
What Shouldn’t Be On You Caribbean Packing List
Any hot tools for your hair should be left at home. There is not point in trying to style your hair in this humidity. You need to manage au natural. Additionally, don’t bother packing heavy makeup like foundation. You will sweat it off in the heat. Instead embrace the natural look with some minimal eye makeup and waterproof mascara.
Additionally, I always pack a pair of pants and a sweatshirt “in case it gets cold”. It doesn’t get cold, at least not to our Midwest standards. So we wear pants and sweatshirts on the plane but never pack extras.
Caribbean Packing Tips
Whenever you go, make sure to check the weather right before you leave. The temperature will likely vary little in the short time you’ll be in the Caribbean. Every Caribbean packing list should be updated to the most accurate weather information you have.
If you have extra room in your luggage, consider packing snacks. Food on lots of Caribbean islands are expensive, which makes sense because they’re islands. However, you can save yourself a bit of money by packing some snacks and breakfast foods so you can really go all out on your dinners!
I hope this Caribbean packing list has prepared you for your amazing vacation. If you need any inspiration for where to go, check out our Caribbean posts here.
