If your idea of a beach vacation is strolling down beautiful streets lined with Victorian buildings on your way to the shore, Cape May is the perfect place for you. This combination of history, beauty, and seaside ambiance is hard to find in any other location along the eastern shore. For families who want the amusement-style activities found in a big boardwalk town, North Wildwood is just a short drive away. The City Beaches of Cape May can be rather narrow at high tide, but the water is clean and the surf offers good swimming. You'll need to purchase a beach tag to get onto the beach.
Bay Beach offers some of the gentlest surf, and lifeguards are on duty.
For sheer beauty, visit the beaches at Cape May Point State Park. The nearby lighthouse is great for a climb, and the beaches in this area are more secluded and less populated than those in town. Staying here is an experience, but is only appropriate for those families who don't mind staying in spartan accommodations with wood floors, simple furnishings, shared baths, and no air conditioning. Rooms are nicely furnished with private baths and air-conditioning. Room rates tend to be expensive, but worth it for what you receive.