Our trip to St. Lucia seriously feels forever ago. We’ve been back to reality for 3 weeks now and as my tan fades so does my St. Lucia blog content. If you missed my vlogs and vacation content, head over to the travel section of my blog to catch up. Be sure to take some dramamine ahead of my vlogs because your girl really needs to work on stabilizing the camera. With that said, in today’s post I am concluding my vacation series by sharing my ultimate St. Lucia packing list for the Sandals La Grande resort.
I am going to start off by saying I am a huge over-packer. Whenever I am away for a week I feel like I need to bring 3 outfits a day, 25 pairs of underwear, and socks on socks on socks. Forget being rational and figuring I’ll be in flip flops the entire week, why not throw an extra pair of socks in my carry-on just in case? But I am committed to learning from my mistakes and sharing the ultimate packing list. If you are a Real Housewife of [Insert Franchise Here] stop reading. This guide is for individuals that check in ONE suitcase and MAYBE bring a carry on as well. Below you will find what to pack and what not to pack for a week at the beach:
What to Pack:
A few swimsuits: I think I brought 7 different swimsuits and ended up wearing the same 3 over and over again because they were my favorite. Unless you are an influencer whose job is to snap 35 different pictures in 15 different swimsuits, just bring your favorite 2-3 suits. I recommend more than one because it can take a day or so to dry, but no need to go overboard.
3-5 cover ups: I packed too many shorts and tops for St. Lucia, when I wish I had packed more cover ups. It depends on your itinerary for the week, but if you are planning on hanging at the pool/beach a majority of the time, you really only need a few lightweight dresses. I ended up wearing the two I brought over and over again because they were easier to wear than denim shorts. By the end of the week, they definitely needed a wash after the sun, sweat, pool water and salt water.
Lounge clothes for your hotel room: We had some free time in between the pool and dinner so I was happy I brought a few clothing items I could lounge around in. I would shower each day after the pool/beach and preferred hanging out in the room wearing comfy clothes before changing into my dinner outfit. You don’t need to go crazy when packing comfy clothes. I recommenced 1 pair of shorts and 1-2 tops.
Sunscreen: Paul and I made the rookie move of only packing 2 bottles of sunscreen when we went on our honeymoon to Costa Rica. We learned the hard way that you need way more than two bottles for a week in the sun and ended up paying the hefty price of $40 sunscreen from the gift shop. The resort we were at was quite secluded so we were at their mercy when it came to prices. When we went to St. Lucia we packed 7 spray bottles plus a face sunscreen. We had about 2 bottles leftover but it is better safe than sorry. We apply sunscreen like it is going out of style so adjust based on your preferences. Finally, I recommend packing a heavy duty lip balm with SPF. My sister and I have had our lips burnt twice and they seriously swelled up to the size of Kylie Jenner’s.
Cash: Sandals is a tip-free resort (except for butlers and spa services), so we brought cash for shuttles and our butler the last 3 nights. If you are staying at a Sandals resort in St. Lucia you don’t need to bring a lot of cash, but depending on the extras you should adjust accordingly. I always recommend traveling with some cash regardless of destination. You never know when you may need it.
COVID Documents: Travel restrictions are changing each day it seems. When we went to St. Lucia we needed a ton of paperwork, so I recommend buying a $1 folder from the store ahead of your trip and organizing all your documentation for easy access at the airport and resort.
Medicine: My go-to medicine for my toiletry bag on vacation includes: Advil, Imodium, Pepto, and Tums (clearly I have stomach issues), bandaids, and Neosporin. We also brought some Liquid I.V. to rehydrate from the long days in the sun. It also helps if you had a few glasses of champagne like I did.
A sweater/cardigan: St. Lucia was hot and humid, but I was happy I brought one cardigan for dinners as sometimes the restaurants were a little chilly. Also our room had the AC pumping 24/7 so I wore the sweatshirt I brought for the plane rides whenever I was cold. I also brought a denim jacket that I never wore, so I recommend only bringing along 1 cardigan plus the sweatshirt you wear on the airplane.
A beach bag: My grandma got me a little tote from LL Bean a few years ago and although it doesn’t look like a beach bag, I am always so happy when I remember it on trips. It’s the perfect size and Paul and I stock it with waters, AirPods, my iPad, and sunscreen ahead of a pool/beach day.
A modest amount of underwear: I think a majority of the population tends to overpacks underwear, but when you are at the beach or pool every single day of your vacation, you probably don’t need a month’s supply. I do recommend throwing an extra pair in your carry on or personal item you take on the plane with you. I always try and pack an extra outfit and swimsuit into my carry on should my checked bag get lost.
Shoes: In addition to the crazy amount of underwear I brought, I also packed way too many shoes. I recommend laying out all of your possibilities, and picking your top 3 to bring along. Try to bring shoes that can go with both formal and casual outfits.
Jewelry: I don’t wear my wedding ring on vacation so in terms of jewelry, I usually only pack a silicon ring and one pair of earrings. It definitely depends on preference, but you’re likely only going to be wearing jewelry at dinners so pack accordingly.
Dinner Outfits: I packed a dress or romper for dinner each night of vacation. Dinner was the one time each day I actually got dressed up and other than those 2 hours, I was wearing a swimsuit or my pajamas. If you are more creative than I am, try selecting a few pieces that you can re-wear and incorporate into other outfits. It’ll save on luggage space and I can guarantee no one at the resort will be calling you an outfit repeater.
Hair products: I packed my curling iron and didn’t touch it once. If you are going to St Lucia, it will likely be very humid so take that into consideration when packing your favorite hair products. It definitely depends on your hair type but with my texture, any sort of curl would have fallen as soon as I stepped outside. I do recommend packing hair scrunchies, bobby pins and normal hair ties.
Other: Don’t forget your favorite pair of sunglasses, a purse for the evenings, and all your chargers. Side note, the rooms at Sandals have US plugs so you do not need an adapter.
Let me know what your must-pack items are for a beach vacation!
Our travel agent Lisa (also my mom) organized our St Lucia vacation and ensured our trip was 10/10. She also helped us navigate St. Lucia’s COVID requirements. If you’re thinking about booking a vacation in 2022, reach out to Lisa with Lisa’s Dream Destinations. Working with a Professional Travel Agent can save you both time and money and in turn, reduce stress that comes along with travel planning. Contact Lisa today: Destinationsbylisa@gmail.com
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xoxo Olivia
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