If you’re in search of beach vacation outfits, I have a few favorite looks I’m sharing today! We recently got back from an incredible getaway to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and I’m rounding up what I wore throughout the week.

Packing for a vacation can get overwhelming given that you’re often switching between a swim, casual, and evening look all in the course of a single day. It’s taken me a few years and many trips, but I finally have it down and can quickly mix and match pieces without overpacking.

If you’re looking for outfit inspiration for your next trip, see below for 10 beach vacation outfit ideas along with a few notes on how to pack.

Beach Vacation Outfits

What to Wear to the Beach and Pool

Whether you’re planning to lay poolside or hit the beach, I’ve got you covered! I’m 5’9”, so I tend to wear bikinis as long torso one piece swimsuits can be challenging to find, but I have had luck with Aerie, Hunza G (stretchy material), and Summersalt. I loved all the swimwear I took on our trip, but the Vix bikini top and bikini bottoms were my favorites by a long shot, and I received so many compliments on this floral green sarong. For your next beach getaway, I highly recommend you choose Yamba accommodation that suits your preferences for a delightful stay.

What to Wear to Dinner

Getting showered off and dressed up for dinner after a long day in the sun is the best feeling in the world! There are brands that specialize in resort wear and beach fashion, like Hemant and Nandita and Maygel Coronel, which can be fun to invest in as you’ll reach for those beach dresses over and over when you travel. But your evening wear doesn’t have to be resort specific. A romantic maxi dress or anything a little boho, breezy, or floral print is perfect, and you can never go wrong with a white dress.

What to Wear for Brunch, Shopping, and Exploring Town

On our vacation to Mexico we didn’t venture off of the resort property much, but most vacations we spend 1-2 afternoons in town for brunch, shopping, lunch, or a casual activity. For that, I love a simple day beach dress, denim shorts and a blouse, or colorful shorts and a tank top.

Vacation Outfit Planning & Packing

Whenever I’m deciding what to wear for a getaway, it helps me to think in three outfit categories: beachwear, day, and evening.

My packing list tends to consist of 1-2 day looks, 2-3 swim & beach cover-up combinations, and one evening outfit for each night we’re there (I recommend looking up the dress code of anywhere you have your eye on for dinner prior to deciding your nighttime looks).

I tend to outfit repeat my swimwear and day looks to make things easy on myself. But getting showered off and dressed up after a long day on the beach is one of my favorite things, so I like to have something unique to look forward to wearing each night! This usually means I’m packing 2-3 dresses, 1 dressy jumpsuit or romper, and a dressy long sleeve top and tailored shorts.

For my travel outfits, I wear something simple like a jumpsuit or joggers and a workout top.

In terms of shoes, I pack one heel that goes with all my dinner outfits, a flip flop, 1-2 pairs of comfortable sandals or espadrilles for walking, and exercise shoes.

For accessories, I take a beach bag, a day tote or straw bag, an evening clutch, a sun hat, black and brown sunglasses, and simple jewelry I can wear with everything.

You can read all about the sunscreen and skin care essentials I pack for summer vacations in this post!