Remember the days when vacationing at a beach destination was easy? You just roll up on your rental scooter, grab your towels and bottle of wine, pick out any old spot to throw your stuff, and run out into the water to play.
Oh, sorry, do you have a baby now? Things just got a LOT more complicated.
But don’t worry! It is entirely possible to enjoy a beach vacation with a baby – you just have to plan ahead and know what you’re getting into!
I’ll start by saying that I am not an advocate of bringing ALL THE THINGS along with you. We almost always fly carry-on only… yes, with a baby and a toddler. There are some things that you absolutely need – see my list of baby beach essentials here. But having a successful beach trip with a baby is not about supplies – it’s about mindset.
Let’s make the most of your time at the beach with baby!
Plan ahead.
You need to do a little research about the beaches that you’re eyeing on Insta before you put them on the itinerary.
Before we had kids, we found ourselves at all kinds of beaches. Some required hiking down a dangerous ravine. Some had crazy party scenes. Some were nude beaches. These are all things you might want to know before you make the effort to get there.
When we visited Italy with our first baby, we learned that most Italian beaches are privately owned, and you must pay to have access to the beach – but that access comes with some great perks. You need to know ahead of time what you can expect from the beaches you want to visit.
Look for family travel blogs that discuss the beaches where you’re staying. They will usually have great information about what to expect and how it impacts travel with kids. And if all else fails, there’s always TripAdvisor.
Bring sunscreen.
Lots of it.
Sunscreen can be surprisingly hard to find in some areas of the world, and extremely expensive to boot. On top of that, you may not be able to find any that is baby-friendly.
This is my favorite sunscreen for taking baby to the beach. We’ve used it many times, and never had any issues with it stinging eyes. This brand is particularly good about not running when it gets wet. Bonus: these little 3 oz tubes can go in your carry-on!
Yes, it’s more work to apply a zinc sunscreen than to just spray, but when they’re little, I think it’s totally worth the effort to have something that stays put, is free of toxins, and does a fantastic job protecting from the sun. My daughters have yet to experience even a mild sunburn after years of using this, unlike with the spray.
I also recommend that you use this sunscreen on yourself. I don’t know about your baby, but mine likes to lick me. If she’s going to eat sunscreen, I much prefer it to be the non-toxic kind.
Keep in mind that the AAP does not recommend using sunscreen on babies under 6 months. The recommendation is to keep them completely protected from the sun until that point. If you’re traveling with an infant, chat with your pediatrician about it. Ours recommended that we should bring along baby-safe sunscreen, because you just can’t be 100% sure that you can stay in the shade when taking a baby to the beach!
You can read more about sunscreen and why we continually choose our favorite brand here: Babies and Sunscreen.
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Figure out sun protection ahead of time.
This goes along with the planning that I mentioned before. You need a solid plan for how you want to protect your little one from the sun. And saying “I bet there will be some palm trees” is not a solid plan.
(I consider it a massive bonus when I happen to get a good spot under the palm trees! And even then, the sand is nowhere near as comfortable so it’s not ideal.)
All the sunscreen in the world will not keep your baby from overheating in the sun – they will need shade. This is especially true if, like us, you are coming from a cool climate and your child is not acclimated to that beach life.
While I do not like to bring a lot of extra stuff on beach vacations, I always bring some kind of sunshade. For some trips, we used our Veer Cruiser stroller-wagon as a beach canopy for the baby when we’ve brought it on vacation. This only worked because we rented a car for this trip – otherwise we would not have brought the wagon. But we were able to gate-check it like a stroller, so this is still a carry-on only possibility.
RELATED: Traveling with a Veer Wagon
Most recently, we’ve been using a Joovy Gloo for our beach tent. This is like the Cadillac of beach tents, and while I would not have bought it (or carried it along) just for the beach, this is also our baby’s travel crib because it is a certified safe sleep product. And it’s perfect.
RELATED: Joovy Gloo Toddler Travel Bed Review
The point is, you need to figure out what works best for your family. But you will need to bring something.
Want more suggestions for sun shades? Check out the best beach tents for babies!
If you are staying at a resort or otherwise know for sure that every beach you visit will have umbrellas, great! But you’re still going to need somewhere for your baby to safely sit. Those lounge chairs are not exactly made for containing a roly-poly tot, and you’ll probably want a wind-protected and comfortable place for your little one to nap or relax.
You might still consider bringing a baby beach tent in this case, or even a baby beach chair (this is a super popular one).
Figure out how to change a diaper at the beach.
Changing a diaper at the beach is not a simple task. Why?
Sand.
If you lay your baby on the beach towel for the diaper change, you’ll get a diaper full of sand. Even if you lay a changing mat on top of the beach towel… sand.
We’ve tried diaper changes inside of our various pop up beach tents, and in all cases, it is impossible to keep sand out of the diaper. If there’s any sand on your kid, it’s going to end up in the diaper.
The best way we found was to do standing diaper changes. That’s where the kid stands, you remove the old diaper, wipe, baby bends over to wipe better if necessary, and then new diaper comes on while still standing. For a young baby, you’ll obviously need a partner for this.
Ultimately, there is no good way to keep the diaper sand-free. Once your baby sits on the sand, it’s filling up anyway. Same goes for the swim diaper or swimsuit. Some babies really dislike the feeling, and others don’t notice.
There are a few tricks to clean sand off when you’re done, however. Cornstarch, or a cornstarch-based baby powder, will absorb the water and make sand fall right off! Don’t bother wiping it with a baby wipe – that only ever makes it worse. Better to let it air out and dry and then use a dry towel or clothes to brush it away.
Invest in a good swim diaper.
Okay, when I say invest… we’re talking 15 bucks. I am a big fan of reusable swim diapers: they fit and protect better, they’re better for the environment, they will save you money, and they are SO MUCH CUTER.
If you want to learn all about swim diapers and how they work, you can do so here. But in a nutshell, the important thing to understand is that swim diapers (whether reusable or disposable) do not work like regular diapers. They do not hold in pee. They are there to catch poop.
You really do not want your baby to wear a regular disposable diaper in the water, whether at the beach or at the pool. They fill with water, puff up, and start to leak the interior gel everywhere. They’re uncomfortable and heavy for baby.
That’s why swim diapers exist – they do not absorb liquid at all.
This means you’ll want to switch into the swim diaper just before you get into the water, and switch back out after, in order to not have a messy pee incident outside of the water. This is a pain, but there are some alternatives.
You can consider using a swim diaper under a regular diaper until you’re ready to get into the water. Then just take off the regular diaper and head into the water. Change into a new diaper when you get out.
My preference is actually for the one reusable swim diaper that is made to hold some pee outside of the pool: the swim diapers made by Green Sprouts. This company was formerly called i play babywear, and are easily the most well-known reusable swim diapers. For good reason!
These swim diapers have a little bit of padding and a waterproof liner (like a cloth diaper). They are fitted, also like a cloth diaper. I wouldn’t replace my cloth diapers with these, as they are obviously not designed to absorb as much liquid as possible – again, because that would be counterproductive in the water. But they strike a perfect balance and can definitely handle being worn outside of the water for a while.
On top of that, they come either as a single diaper, or as part of a matching swimsuit or rash guard. They even have boys’ swim trunks and girls’ one pieces with their diapers built in.
Infant poo can tend to be very fluid. And exclusively breastfed babies actually have poo that is water-soluble. If your baby is still in this phase, it is going to be extra important that you find a diaper that fits well and offers complete protection. Check often for poo while in the water, and change the diaper right away if that happens.
For older babies and toddlers, I have a few different swim diapers that I use in different scenarios. But for a very young baby with loose poo, I will not use anything but the Green Sprouts.
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Sun protection can be super adorable.
Remember that babies (and you, for that matter) can get a sunburn in under 15 minutes. That means that he or she should have a sun hat on at all times when exposed to the sun, including while playing in the water.
If your child (like mine) can’t manage to grow hair before their first birthday, it is especially important to keep that noggin covered, and not just rely on sunscreen for this super vulnerable area of skin.
My favorite sun hats are SwimZip and Green Sprouts. I like them both because they are structured but still floppy, and provide a lot of extra protection to the face and neck. You can read my review of both of these baby sun hats here.
And don’t forget about baby’s eyes! Babies are at a much higher risk than adults are of having sun damage to their eyes. Not all babies will keep sunglasses on, but then again, not all sunglasses are comfortable and well-designed for a baby’s head.
My favorite baby sunglasses are roshambo baby (this link gets you 15% off, heeeyyy). We’ve tried a number of other brands – including the popular Babiators – and my kids would not keep them on. We’ve had great success with the roshambo’s. Check out my full review of the roshambos vs. the Babiators here.
Plus, they come ins sizes for the whole family in case you want to be that family, like us!
Fluids are your friend.
Don’t rely on finding potable water at the beach. Depending on where you are, there might be a restaurant or drink shack, and that’s great. But that is not every beach. And even those might not be safe.
If you are traveling somewhere that the tap water is potable, you can obviously trust beach restaurants. But if you are somewhere with unsafe water, you need to be extra careful. Even if you’ve traditionally not worried too much about this for yourself (hi that’s me) – it is time to get serious about safe drinking water.
Keep in mind that ice is made from water, and if a drink shack is making their own ice from tap water, it is not safe for your baby. (A lot of places in tourist-heavy locales will buy filtered ice – it doesn’t hurt to ask!) There is also a risk to fresh fruit and salads that are rinsed in tap water. Just be aware and be cautious about what you give to your little one.
In a lot of places, you might find vendors walking around selling bottles of cold water. I would generally not trust that water for my baby, depending on the country that I’m in. At the very least, ensure that it is sealed! Many vendors refill bottles with tap water to sell.
Your best option is to bring water along with you (bought sealed from a store). And bring a LOT more than you expect to need.
If you are breastfeeding, remember that your baby will need extra fluids because of the heat, so he or she will need to nurse more than usual. That means you need extra water too, mama. This is also true if you use formula – bring plenty extra!
Let’s talk water safety.
Baby safety at the beach boils down to three things: hands-on baby at all times in the water, don’t go out into choppy water, and stay protected from the sun.
I can’t tell you how many times my husband and I have felt comfortable in moderate waves, only to be taken surprise by a random larger wave, and then we drop something. Sunglasses, hats, our GoPro… all eaten by Poseidon over the years. We don’t want that to be our baby, so we only hold the baby in very gentle water with no sudden waves.
If the water is calm and you feel confident holding your baby, by all means, bring ’em in. I’ve even worn my baby in this mesh Moby-style wrap into the water – but you still must keep arms on baby at all times!
You can also consider bringing a floatie or life vest along, which will make it easier on you and more fun for baby. But you still need to be within arms’ reach at all times. I like this inflatable floatie for babies, and this swim vest for older toddlers or preschoolers. For young toddlers, we use puddle jumpers, but they are a pain to travel with.
While we’re here, have you taken an infant CPR class in the last few years? Always a good thing to brush up on.
Sorry, but you have to take turns.
We love to try out water sports when we’re at the beach. We’re not going to let our little ones get in the way of stand up paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking, or jet skis – but we can’t do it together.
You’re going to have to take turns for any of that fun stuff. And that goes for good old splashing around in the water, too. No more sexy water snuggles.
It can definitely be a bummer to no longer enjoy the things that you used to do together at the beach. This was actually one of the biggest adjustments for us when we started to travel with babies. And sometimes one of you will need to deal with the baby just so the other person can enjoy lounging for a while. Know that there will be a time when the kids get a bit older and you’ll get back to the long, relaxing days at the beach. But for now, it will come in bits and pieces between baby care.
Rent or buy water toys at your destination.
Water toys are great for a day at the beach! But most of them are a pain to try to travel with.
Any beach you go to in a semi-touristy area is going to have somewhere nearby that either rents or sells water toys. While renting is obviously ideal, you can always buy and then donate them or bring them home with you. We bought a bucket of sand toys in Mexico that we ended up bringing back in a grocery bag as a carry-on item, but we still have them and play with them in the yard.
Does your hotel have towels that you can borrow so you don’t have to bring any? What about your Airbnb? Most that we have stayed in that were close to a beach had towels, umbrellas, and often water toys to borrow. This is definitely worth checking on before your trip!
You also might be able to rent beach toys from a local family. BabyQuip is a baby rental service where you can rent cribs, strollers, car seats, and more from local families while you travel. In beach destinations, you will find many families that also rent out beach gear. It’s worth checking into!
Alternately, seek out beach toys that are inflatable or otherwise easy to transport. The last thing you need is to juggle a giant bag on your vacation beach day!
Paying for a deluxe beach experience is totally worth it.
Sometimes, there is nothing better than laying on a beach, in a lounger under an umbrella, with music in the air and a margarita in hand. Will it cost you a little more to make that happen? Sure.
But when you don’t need to worry about bringing anything – not towels, water, food, anything! – it makes the overall experience so much easier. Especially with a baby in tow.
If you’re planning on spending a good chunk of your day at the beach, look into whether there are private beaches at your destination. On top of having a restaurant and bar, they will often have bathrooms, showers, and other amenities that can honestly make all the difference between a stressful situation and a day of lazy fun.
Even if you are the most budget-conscious traveler, paying for a family-friendly beach club for the day is a solid use of vacation cash.
Get creative to protect your stuff.
Unfortunately, theft is a serious issue at beaches. And when you’re distracted by your adorable baby in the water? You’re a pretty big target. Please don’t leave your purse/wallet/keys/cell phone laying on your towel while you build sandcastles!
We’ve come up with a few good solutions over the years for how to hide our stuff. We obviously minimize the valuables that we bring, but there will always be keys and cell phones.
We used to bring a ziploc bag and bury it in the sand. This worked, but it was a bit of a pain. Luckily we came across a much better solution:
Wrap it in a diaper.
Seriously. Take a (clean!) diaper, put your wallet/keys/whatever in there, and wrap it up like a used diaper. Set it next to your diaper bag. Done.
In this image, you can see we even put a real, used, wet diaper on top for good measure.
Some things to keep in mind: make sure it’s not in an area where attendants may come by and clean up garbage. If that’s the case, be sure to pile it in with shoes and clothes so it’s not easy to grab.
Also bear in mind that the more often you dig into the diaper to check your phone, the more likely it is that someone who is looking for theft victims might notice. But typically, we find it simple enough to do discreetly.
We use this trick at the pool, too. While it feels a little weird at first, the peace of mind of not constantly worrying about our stuff is amazing.
So when can you take a baby to the beach? Really, as soon as you are comfortable with it. Under 6 months, you’ll want to talk to your child’s doctor about sunscreen, and always remember baby beach safety. But babies love the beach, and while you might not enjoy your beach vacay the way you are used to, there is a different kind of delight that comes from spending a day at the beach with baby.
What’s your favorite way to beach it up with a baby? Let me know in the comments!
Originally published February 2019. Updated November 2024.
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18 thoughts on “How To Enjoy a Beach Vacation with a Baby”
Some very good tips here. Shall send this to my niece as she’s just had a baby and worries that she’ll never be able to travel again lol.
Great tips, thanks! Having a baby doesn’t mean your beach vacations have to stop, and this article is a great proof! I can imagine that you miss doing water sports with your husband, but well, at some point you get to do this again! 😊
I second your tips and would add to get an amazing floating with legs with sun canopy built in. They were very useful when my kids where babies.
YES! I love those things, and for some reason never remember to bring one when we travel. They don’t take up much room but are SO GREAT!
Your little girl is too cute! Seems like you and your husband have a good system. Great way for the whole family to have fun 🙂
Awee what a cute little baaaaby. So refreshing to see and read about people who travel with babies & toddlers. Although I get its more complicated, it sure seems amazing on another level. My best friend is going to Greece in a few months with her kids, and I’ll definitely recommend the bbluv Nido – looks so handy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks, Tina! It is more complicated, but you’re right that it makes it that much more amazing. 🙂
that pop op canopy is so cute and you game us some very important and useful tips. Being prepared is so important!
What a lil cutie pie! Yes. Always plan ahead with all necessary supplies handy. Don’t forget a spray bottle. My aunt used to freeze a spray bottle with water and take out with baby during hot weather. She’d spritz them with the melted cool water and it was peace all round lol.
That is such a great idea! Definitely going to use that next time we go. Thank you!
Really so cute!! I had my son in a beach town and we loved going down to the water.. man I don’t miss those sandy diapers and snacks! These are some great things to remember!!
Ugghhh, yes the sand in the diapers. That is the worst! Having a baby in a beach town sounds just wonderful!
Such a happy baby! Both my kids were beach babies too – even as toddlers they would love to go to the beaches. There is no stopping them now that they are in their pre-teens. And I agree, Paying for a deluxe beach experience is totally worth it 😉
She looks like the happiest baby in the whole wide world! What an amazing glimpse of your time with your baby. 🙂
I don’t have a baby of my own but I guess it’s never too late to read a few articles like this one and learn some new things that will come handy in the future. Thank you for sharing
You should probably know the baby beforehand, right? Just kidding! This is also useful for adult babies.
Lol! I suppose so 🙂
Some awesome tips! I too have had some beach vacations with a baby and these are very helpful 😊