The beach/pool bag with hidden compartment has a hidden compartment positioned at the bottom of the bag that is equipped with a zipper-closable access. A flap is provided to cover and conceal the zipper, thereby presenting a false bottom and disguising the existence of the compartment underneath. The backpack with hidden compartment is similar to the beach/pool bag, but has shoulder straps instead of handles. A cable and lock are provided to secure the backpack to a stationary object if the backpack is to be laid aside.