Olivia went to the beach… oh, oh! As good miners we are, we were anxious to unite these two immensities: our daughter and the sea. When she completed her first year, we felt the security that was needed to plan this big meeting. We chose Pernambuco, more precisely the cities Recife and Porto de Galinhas to spend 10 days with her. And this is my first tip:
What better destination to take the baby to the beach?
This question is cruel because beautiful beaches are not lacking here. What we took into consideration was the best travel duo: economy + infrastructure. When we have a baby on board, we need a place, above all, safe.
We prefer quieter beaches, but with a minimal structure of nearby restaurants, available restrooms and choose cities with affordable health clinics. We would also like a place where we could go on different walks and not just stay all day at the beach. So we arrived in Recife. It was a place we did not know yet and met all our requirements.
We had 10 days to enjoy, so we came up with the following script: four nights in Recife, with time to make a jump in Olinda, and four more nights in Porto de Galinhas. That would be our little girl’s first long-term trip.
Olivia is already a big traveler and I told her a little about her baby adventures on the plane here. But always with short trips. After the chosen destination and purchased tickets, our challenge was another.
How to choose the best lodging for traveling with a baby?
Beach, waterfall, urban centers, all corners of the world offer different accommodations. This is obvious. What a baby needs, by the way, we caregivers need a place that has a private bathroom and easy access to the restaurant. Lodging with breakfast included is also an excellent choice.
After a bad night’s sleep – who has a baby at home understands me – the best choice is to have a ready breakfast waiting for you. Generally, in hotel breakfasts, it is possible to find fruits and breads, ie, breakfast of champions. For a baby, it’s great.
Well, back to the option of having easy access to the restaurant, even with 1 year old and eating everything, we like to prepare her food. So, to choose the lodging, we prefer places with supermarkets or big bags nearby and this quick access. Both in Recife and Porto de Galinhas, we made choices that were not the most economical, but that served us well.
In Recife, we stayed at the Ramada and, in Porto de Galinhas, we stayed at the Pousada Canto do Porto. As Olinda is two sticks from Recife, we went and returned the same day without any concern. Even Olinda is a must for those who visit Recife (want tips on what to do in Recife in 3 days?).
Well, guaranteed accommodation, we couldn’t wait for the next big challenge: packing up the baby’s bags. That’s a dilemma no one tells you about.
How to organize baby luggage for the beach?
Yes. We fell into the tale of providing little boats, little boats and toys for children on the beach. This made us think of extra luggage just for diaper packs and baby bags. Do not make this mistake. Take enough diapers only for the moment you are in transit and buy the package only at destination.
This saves luggage space that you don’t believe in. About toys, avoid. Bring just two or three favorites as well as small ones to entertain your calf at pod moments. Otherwise, your child will not be bored. After all, you will be traveling. It’s fun in itself.
Regarding the amount of clothing, as they are children, it is necessary to take into account sudden changes in temperature. If you are traveling to some very hot destination, be sure to wear cool clothes for at least the moment of the trip itself. Remember that airplane is a place with low temperatures.
To provide the logic of the suitcase of Olivia, we separate the clothes for days. Our travel period was 11 days. We consider two short-sleeved bodysuits for each day, one long-sleeved bodysuits for every two days, two coats, one shorts for each day, three overalls and four dresses, approximately. Clean clothes left, but I believe it was a comfortable amount.
For swimwear, we provide one of those long-sleeved shirts to avoid long contact with the sun, a slim pants replacing the pool diaper, and two sets of bikinis. We washed the pieces as soon as we got back from the beach. So she reused these parts with no problem.
In addition to clothes, which is a matter that varies a lot from each family, what can not miss in the luggage of the baby is a little pharmacy. Talk to your pediatrician and ask for help choosing the most important medicines. We take: sunscreen, antipyretics, thermometer, saline, diaper rash, moisturizing cream and antiallergic. All products have been used by her in other situations and, of course, all indicated by the pediatrician who accompanies her from birth.
As Olivia is still breastfed and already makes use of normal cups, we do not carry bottle or transition cups. These items also take up a good amount of space. But if this is not the case with your puppy, plan a place for nipples and bottles.
Luggage ready. All set, we could hardly wait for this big meeting between the baby and the sea.
What precautions for bringing a baby to the beach for the first time?
First care is with you. Do not create expectations. Each baby is unique and each reaction is unique. As I LOVE the beach, I didn’t even consider the possibility of Olivia not liking it. Well, we took the little one on the first day to the beach of Boa Viagem. And amazingly, Olivia HATED.
As soon as we reached the sand, still in my lap, she was very scared and cried a lot. Today we die laughing at this scene. Two miners, totally misfit, with a backpack full of beach toys, another bag full of things, and a crying baby, desperate in her lap.
It was very frustrating because I did not follow this recommendation, but I raised expectations of being a magical moment. Well, on the first attempt to put those little feet in the sand, she cried more. Get close to the sea then, no chance.
Then we started walking with her on the waterfront, talking, showing other things, cars, buildings, birds, people, other children. It took a while, but it opened. At least we stopped crying and managed to get back to the hotel with a livelier baby, lol.
Therefore, I reinforce the tip of seeking a city in which not only has the beach as entertainment. The next day we went to Olinda. She simply LOVED the ride. Dated the sea from afar.
On the third day, we returned to the sea. And guess what? She cried again.
Much less, but wept. We strolled through the historic center of Recife, visited museums and the other day we would go to Porto de Galinhas. Remember those bikinis and swimwear I brought her? Almost half of the trip and we were unable to use NONE. What’s up? In Porto de Galinhas we would go to a hotel by the beach. What if she cries one more time?
Next day we arrived at Porto de Galinhas. We even got a Uber and it was very quiet to arrive. We arrived at the Pousada, settled in, and took Olivia to the beach in yet another attempt to make this friendship happen. AND…
IT HAPPENED!
We came to the sea playing, talking, distracting, showing other children, and she finally opened her little heart to the sea. From then on, it was love at fourth sight. At the time, she still didn’t walk, but crawled like a turtle.
I learned that these reactions are more common than one might imagine. After all, sand is a very different texture. So don’t do as I did.
Do not raise expectations and provide a much more natural time, as if the sea were part of your routine. Slowly sand the feet, show other children, and get ready to learn a lot about the world through your child’s eyes. Living is really too good.
