The Essential Packing List for Your Puerto Rico Vacation

If you're planning a trip to Puerto Rico with kids, you're in the right place!

Puerto Rico is an excellent family vacation destination with sandy beaches, a tropical rainforest, historic cities, and bioluminescent bays. It can be a destination for adventure or a place to relax in the warm sun.

U.S. citizens don't need a passport to visit since Puerto Rico is part of the United States. It's a great place to escape the cold weather during the winter months since it's a tropical island. Renting a car is easy, and driving is similar to mainland United States, especially around San Juan.

If you're planning to do more than just beach days, it can be tough to know what to pack! This article will guide you through the important things to bring to Puerto Rico for adventure, fun in the sun, and a little relaxation.

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When to Go to Puerto Rico

What's the best time of year to visit Puerto Rico? Anytime, in my opinion! Puerto Rico has tropical weather year-round.

High Season in Puerto Rico consists of the winter months from December to April. Tourists escape the cold weather to enjoy the tropical climate in Puerto Rico, which means prices are higher and you'll be dealing with warm crowds.

The rainy season takes place from June through November, and since this is also hurricane season in Puerto Rico, tourism drops off, meaning lower prices and fewer crowds. (Though there's always the risk you'll have to cancel or reschedule your trip due to hurricanes). Like with many tropical destinations, rain showers often last for a few hours in the late afternoon or evening throughout the summer months.

We visited over spring break in March, the busiest tourism month in Puerto Rico. While there were certainly crowds in Old San Juan, especially on the days cruise ships were in port, we found that there were fewer crowds once we got outside the city.

High season might be worth the extra cost for better weather, but any time of the year in Puerto Rico will be beautiful.

Puerto Rico Packing List for Families

These are the top essential items to bring on your trip to Puerto Rico!

Outdoors

Bathing Suit - we spent most of our time at the beach or pool, so pack as many swimsuits as you can!
Rash Guard - the sun is strong in Puerto Rico, so wearing a long-sleeved rash guard will help prevent burns. As a bonus, you won't have as much exposed skin to worry about for reapplying sunscreen to the kids every few hours!
Sunscreen - we packed a few travel-size bottles of zinc sunscreen, but you can also purchase some full-size reef-safe sunscreen at Walmart or Walgreens, which are both widely available around Puerto Rico.
Cover Ups - You'll be doing a lot of walking to and from the beach to your car, or from the pool to your hotel room, so bring a good swim cover-up!
Beach Towel - I don't think this is essential, but it would be helpful to have a quick-drying beach towel. Something like this would be perfect.
Mosquito Repellent - I was surprised to learn that mosquitoes aren't a problem in El Yunque National Forest, but we did find we needed bug spray at the beaches and in a few spots on the West Coast.
Light Rain Jacket - Even if you're visiting during the dry season, if you plan to visit El Yunque you should still plan to bring a light raincoat. It is a tropical rainforest, and storms can pop up without warning!
Waterproof phone case - If you're planning to participate in water activities like boating, snorkeling, or kayaking in the bioluminescent bays, a waterproof phone case will come in handy so you don't ruin your phone!
Wide Brimmed Hat - As I mentioned, the sun is stronger than we're used to in a lot of the United States. Sunscreen helps, but the more sun protection you can give yourself the better! No one wants to deal with a painful sunburn on their beach vacation.
Beach Bag - I purchased a small, lightweight beach bag from the dollar spot at Target right before we went. It was perfect for hauling sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and towels to and from the beach. It also folded up nice and flat and barely took up any space in my bag!
Waterproof Bag - another thing to bring if you plan on doing water sports, going on boat rides, or visiting the bio bays. Something like this is great for protecting your phone, wallet, camera, and valuables from getting ruined by water or sand at the beach.
Water shoes - some beaches in Puerto Rico have rocky shorelines, so water shoes will help prevent injuries. These are not essential, so consider bringing them depending on how much space you have available in your bag.
Sunglasses

Clothes

I always try to pack light, fitting everything I need in a carry-on bag, or sometimes just a personal item. This is my favorite suitcase-style backpack for packing light.

Tank Tops - with average temperatures in the 80s, you'll want to bring a few tank tops! I love these tanks from Unbound Merino because you can wear them several times without washing them since they're odor-resistant, temperature-regulating, and fast-drying. This is perfect if you won't have access to a washing machine on your trip.
Jean Shorts - bring one pair of jean shorts to wear over your swimsuit to the beach or for a casual outing. Puerto Rico is a Caribbean Island, so styles are more laid back unless you're going to an upscale fancy restaurant with a dress code.
Sundresses - sundresses are my go-to outfit for visiting a beach destination. They're easy to pack, cute, lightweight, and make you look put together without much effort.
Running Shorts - great for hiking or lounging
Linen Shorts - One pair of linen shorts to mix and match with your tops gives you a more put-together option for sightseeing.
Flowy skirt or skort - a long, colorful maxi skirt would be a good option to match the vibrant island energy.
Long-Sleeved Shirts - these are nice to have for protection from the sun or bugs. Bring one lightweight option and one thicker long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt.
Flip Flops - you'll need a pair of flip-flops for going to the beach and pool.
A Pair of Sandals - a pair of comfy sandals is the best option for wandering the streets of Old San Juan or going out for a casual dinner.
Close-Toed Shoes - You may need close-toed shoes for any adventurous tours you book such as ziplining or horseback riding. Be sure to check the guidelines ahead of time.
Pants - I wore a pair of joggers on our flight but found that I didn't need them once we were in Puerto Rico. It was far too hot to wear pants unless you have a pair of breezy linen pants to pair with a tank top.
Socks and intimates

Health

Don't forget these important items to make sure you're safe and healthy throughout your trip. If you forget, that's ok. There are plenty of pharmacies and big box stores around the island where you can buy essentials. Remember, PR is part of the US so you can find many of the same things you would buy on the mainland.

Motion Sickness Medication - if you plan to leave San Juan, some of the roads get bumpy and winding the further you get from the city. Be prepared with motion sickness medication so you don't spend your entire day nauseous and miserable.
Mints or gum - when I started to get nauseous on our drives, I would pop a piece of gum or a mint in my mouth since peppermint can help combat nausea. Ginger chews would be another great option!
Hand Sanitizer
Pain Reliever - don't forget to bring both the adult and kid versions.
Bandages
Healing Ointment - we love the Aquaphor healing balm stick since it has so many great uses!
Bug bite cream

Travel Essentials

A few other essential things to bring on your Puerto Rico trip.

Camera - Puerto Rico is stunning. You'll want to take lots of photos! I have a lightweight mirrorless camera that I love. I always put it in this neoprene case to protect it from damage.
Action Camera - we have a GoPro and it's waterproof, small, and easy to use.
Camera Bag
Day Bag - I have a small, lightweight backpack I use for outings.
Water Bottles
Portable charger - this is my favorite portable charger for travel!
Wallet
phone and charger
tablet and charger

Tips for Visiting Puerto Rico

You can use a credit card for most shops and restaurants, but if you make your way to other parts of the island, you may want to have cash on hand. They use US Dollars since Puerto Rico is a territory of the US.
Get out of San Juan! Old San Juan is beautiful, and I highly recommend you spend some time there. But make sure you rent a car and enjoy other parts of the island! We visited El Yunque National Forest, which is only 45 minutes outside of San Juan, and Rincon and Cabo Rojo on the west coast. Here is our full itinerary for 7 days in Puerto Rico with kids! We had the best time on our spring break and would love to go back and explore more of Puerto Rico, including some of the smaller islands like Vieques.
You don't need a passport, you don't need to change money, the outlets are all the same, and the tap water is safe to drink.
Try Puerto Rican foods like mofongo and tostones. The piña colada was invented in Puerto Rico, so stop at either Barrachina or the Caribe Hilton, both of which claim to be the birthplace of piña coladas! You can get virgin piña coladas for the kids.
You do not need an international phone plan to use your phone in Puerto Rico if you have a US phone plan.

We loved visiting Puerto Rico with the kids. With some of the best beaches in the USA, plus the only tropical rainforest in the US Forest System, it's a destination that should be on every family's bucket list.