I love a good all-inclusive resort, and over the years I’ve rounded up a list of my beach bag essentials. These are the things I always bring with me for a day at the beach or pool.

Sunscreen! My favorites are Sun Bum and Blue Lizard. Blue Lizard is reef-safe, which is especially important since many Caribbean islands now have restrictions on certain sunscreens. My husband prefers sunscreen sticks for his face and neck—and a bonus is that they don’t count as a liquid when flying.

Don’t forget something for the resort dress code. All-inclusive resorts often have dress codes for breakfast and lunch. While the ladies can generally get by with a cute cover-up or sun dress, men can be a little trickier. My husband loves wearing tank tops at the beach, but they aren’t allowed in the restaurants. Rather than run back to the room for a quick change, we toss a UPF rash guard or button-up fishing shirt into the beach bag. Problem solved!

A good water bottle to stay hydrated. You need to keep your water cold in between all those cute little umbrella drinks! My favorite is this MIRA water bottle with a leak-proof lid, so I never have to worry about it soaking everything in my beach bag. It also keeps ice cold all day long—even in the heat. We also like to toss in a couple of packets of Liquid I.V. to help us stay hydrated.

Bring something to read. Of course, you need a good book—or, in my case, I pack my Kindle with unlimited reading material at my fingertips. Sometimes I even toss in a crossword puzzle or word search from the dollar store. There’s something about sitting by the ocean that makes me want to do absolutely nothing except read and relax!

A good sunhat is essential. Furtalk makes my favorite straw sunhat. It has an adjustable band inside, which is perfect for the smallest of heads like mine. The brim is large enough to provide good sun protection, and it rolls up for easy packing. I’ve been using mine for four years, and it has held up to both the ocean and the pool even after getting wet.

If I’m going with a ball cap instead, I really like the ones that have an opening in the back so you can pull your ponytail through. Click here for my favorite one. (paid link) I also have these handy hat clips attached to my beach bag so I can clip my hat to the bag when I’m not wearing it.

Sunglasses are a must when lounging on the beach. I prefer a less expensive pair in case I damage them or lose them. These are my favorites because they’re polarized and come in several different colors. My husband is also a big fan of sunglasses with readers built in—especially handy when he wants to read without switching glasses!

Reusable Straws.  I am a straw girlie and most resort have done away with straw so if you are like me you want to sip your frozen drink with a straw grab a few to toss in your beach bag.  (a dollar store toothbrush holder makes a great straw container to keep them from getting sandy)

Towel Bands to hold down your towel on those breezy days. I prefer the bands over clips as they take up less room for packing. And these are so cute. They will fit over any beach or pool lounger.

A tiny first-aid kit can come in handy. I always toss one into my beach bag because, well, my husband is accident-prone.  I originally started with this little Band-Aid kit, but over time I’ve replaced and added a few things: regular Band-Aids, blister Band-Aids, alcohol wipes, tweezers, moleskin, and a tiny bottle of liquid Band-Aid from the dollar store.  I also like these little pill containers for Tylenol, Pepto, Pepcid AC or just your daily prescription meds.  So handy to toss in the bag to avoid a run back to the room. 

And finally, the beach bag! I have several that I use depending on my mood, but this little crocheted bag is currently my favorite. It’s cute, lightweight, and holds all of my beach-day essentials without feeling like I’m lugging around a suitcase.

So that’s what I pack for a day at an all-inclusive resort!

What do you pack in your beach bag? Is there anything I’m missing?

I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links that could earn me a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything listed in this post are my tried and true staple travel items that I never go to the beach without.