A Carry-On Packing List for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Typically I title the posts in my packing series “Traveling Light,” but I didn’t feel that was a fair statement to apply to my Puerto Vallarta packing list post. In fact, I could almost title this post “summer travel capsule” as it includes nearly all of my warm-weather items!

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The hot-weather forecast in PV meant I would likely need to wear a different outfit in the evening after swimming and sweating all day, and without an established itinerary (the purpose of our visit was for our friends’ wedding, so all plans were out of our control), I had to pack for many possibilities.

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Looking for more packing list inspiration? Discover what's in my suitcase each season: Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter

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So, I packed more than five days’ worth of outfits, though I still managed to fit it all into my carry-on with room to spare. And as always, I stuck with a neutral color palette, ensuring everything matched everything else. I also included every garment made of natural fibers that I own – not only are synthetic fibers more unsustainable, but they don’t breathe as well. As you’ll see, most of the items included in today’s post are made of linen, cotton, or silk.

I didn’t have the chance to pack until the night before the flight, but I had been mentally planning my items and outfits over a week in advance. I even sewed a linen tank a few days before the trip from scrap fabric to make sure I’d have enough light-colored tops to wear with the two skirts I planned on bringing.

Here’s what made the cut and went into my suitcase:

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PACKING LIST FOR PUERTO VALLARTA

Note: many of these items are no longer available and a similar product is linked

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PUERTO VALLARTA OUTFITS

In more detail, here’s how I combined my items over the five days (into many more outfits!):

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FINAL THOUGHTS ON PACKING FOR PUERTO VALLARTA

Though I hate to shop specifically for a trip, I had no choice but to do so in this case. The white tie-neck silk tank, the green linen pants, the two skirts, the maxi dress, the water shoes, the heeled sandals, and the flip-flops were all new purchases for this trip.

I thrifted almost everything and altered what didn’t quite fit right to save a little money. You might have seen my Instagram stories with the maxi dress—it was initially a cold-shoulder dress, a style that doesn’t suit me. A quick alteration left me with a dress that looked much more expensive than its $9 price tag.

Since our trip was planned well in advance, I had time to carefully consider what items I wanted to purchase and to make sure those garments would have a permanent home in my closet for (hopefully) years to come.

Surprisingly, I wore nearly every article of clothing I brought along (yes, even all but one of my fourteen pairs of underwear!). The weather was incredibly hot—summer is low-season in Puerto Vallarta and I now understand why—and I definitely needed a second outfit by the evening.

Thankfully, the resort had two pools and unlimited margaritas; both offered an equally wonderful respite from the sun. Most days we woke up, threw on clothes, had breakfast with the group, grabbed our swimsuits, hung out in the pool until lunch, threw on a cover-up for lunch, swam some more, and got dressed again for dinner.

Two of the dinners were more formal, and I was glad I threw in a second bright dress for the evening. My maxi dress was perfect for the wedding’s tropical setting, and I think this trip finally made me more excited about warmer weather and wearing bright clothing once again. We’ll just have to see if it sticks!

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Are you ready for summer and warm-weather dressing? Do you have a summer destination in mind? I’d love to hear!