All Articles Cape May delivers a classic beach getaway

Cape May delivers a classic beach getaway

By Laura Begley BloomAug 15, 2020 5 minutes read
Lifeboat with "Cape May" painted on its side, sitting in the sand in front of houses

Details in this story were updated in December 2024.

You could call Cape May, New Jersey the original beach town. Before its establishment in 1761, Americans rarely went to the seashore on vacation. When Congress Hall—America’s oldest seaside resort hotel—opened in 1816, it quickly became popular with East Coasters and U.S. presidents. But Cape May fell off the radar over time, a victim of economic hardship and competition from beach destinations like the Hamptons and Jersey’s North Shore.

In recent years, local entrepreneurs have been reinventing this breezy beach town with farm-to-fork restaurants and craft cocktail bars. But don’t be fooled: Cape May hasn’t lost the nostalgic appeal that made it so enticing in the first place, thanks to highlights like putt-putt golf and a cobblestone main street.

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Here’s the other good news: Cape May has stayed under the radar for many New Yorkers. And while its peak season is the summer, after Labor Day you can still enjoy the town’s charms right through the winter. So consider this your year-round getaway guide, no plane or passport required.

Where to stay

Exterior of Congress Hall, a historic building with American flags hanging from its columns
Congress Hall

Congress Hall

Smack between the beach and downtown, the historic Congress Hall has been the place to stay since 1816. People love hanging out in the old-fashioned rocking chairs on the porch where they can order drinks like a Congress Cosmo (Absolut, Combier, white cranberry, lime) or a glass of rosé from the open-air Veranda Bar. And in the colder months, there’s nothing like sitting by the fireplace with a glass of locally made whiskey.

Must order: the wood-fired pizza at the speakeasy-style underground Boiler Room.

Honorable hotel mentions

What to do

Sunset Beach with sun poking through clouds
Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach

Obsessed with sea glass? Wait until you see Cape May diamonds— no, not real diamonds but clear quartz stones polished by the waves. Locals hunt for them on tiny Sunset Beach, a rocky strand on the southern tip of the Cape May Peninsula. (Heads up: Come early in the day, since the nightly lowering of the flag at sunset gathers a crowd.) Gather your seashells in style with a tote made from recycled sail cloth, which you can buy downtown at Sea Bags.

Need more beach?

Person carrying two crates of vegetables through Beach Plum Farm
Beach Plum Farm

Beach Plum Farm

When you’re ready to peel yourself away from the sand, head to Beach Plum Farm. The 62-acre working farm grows herbs and produce served at local restaurants and welcomes guests who want to embrace the rural lifestyle for an hour or two (mornings are least crowded, so plan accordingly). Feed the chickens. Try to snag a reservation for a farm-to-table meal under the stars.

Don’t feel like leaving? Rent an onsite cottage and cook breakfast using eggs that you gathered with the farmhands that morning. Or sign up for Rooted, a series of off-season culinary escapes where you’ll join the harvest and learn to make recipes inspired by the crops you just picked. It doesn’t get much fresher than that.

The Dueling Candy Stores

This wouldn’t be a beach town without a fudge shop or two (or 20). Along Washington Street, you’ll find two competing candy stores: Fralingers Original Salt (number 326) and The Original Fudge Kitchen (number 513). The lowdown: Fralingers looks great in a photo, but The Original Fudge Kitchen wins for its heavenly whipped cream fudge.

Tips from the locals

  • Curtis Bashaw, owner of Congress Hall:Ocean Putt Golf. A no-frills classic. Just don’t get distracted by Humpty Dumpty.”
  • Jack Wright, founder of Exit Zero: The Lobster House. It’s a more authentic version of the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Go in the off-season.”
  • Suzanne Kulperger, a local photographer: “The Howard Street Ramble at the Chalfonte Hotel. A group of talented local musicians jam on the porch on Thursday nights.”

Where to eat and drink

Person cooking on old cast-iron skillet in kitchen of Magnolia Room
Magnolia Room

The Magnolia Room

The Chalfonte Hotel’s Magnolia Room has been presided over by four generations of women known for their Southern-style home cooking. Miss Helen Dickerson, who worked here for more than 75 years, put the restaurant on the map with a menu that she called “soul food with its Sunday clothes on.” Now, her granddaughter Tina Bowser runs the show. The restaurant is open May to September, and she’s still cooking with the same 100-year-old cast-iron skillet Miss Helen used.

The Rusty Nail

When you walk into The Rusty Nail, you’ll wonder if you’ve been transported to a beach bar in the Bahamas. This open-to-the-breezes spot used to be a gritty surfer bar back in the ‘70s but was converted into a stylish hangout with picnic tables on the sand, fire pits, reggae on heavy rotation, and a seafood-centric menu from chef Jimmy Burton.

Distillery machines at Nauti Spirits Distillery
Nauti Spirits Distillery

Nauti Spirits

Throwing it back to Prohibition, Cape May’s hidden waterways made it a hot spot for bootleggers, who parked their ships offshore and transported rum in disguised fish barrels to Atlantic City and beyond. These days, a new generation of artisanal producers is making spirits in a thoroughly legal way—but you can take a behind-the-stills tour for an old-school experience. A local maker to try: Nauti Spirits. Here, gin, rum, and vodka highlight ingredients harvested from the company’s 60-acre coastal farm.

El Taqueria & Antojos

These eats are worth the 12-minute drive beyond the center of Cape May. At El Pueblo Taqueria—a simple spot tucked into a strip mall in North Cape May—Oaxaca-born owner Ruben Nuñez serves authentic Mexican dishes like al pastor-stuffed tacos. A few doors down at the dessert shop Antojos, his brother Jehovanny will satisfy your sweet tooth with chile-covered mangos and a decadent churro sundae.

Getting around

People eating around outside tables at Exit Zero in the evening
Exit Zero

Exit Zero

Nope, you’re not imagining things: Exit Zero, a bespoke refueling joint, offers so much more than window-washing and tire-pressure checks—it also houses a coffee roaster, retail store, and curry restaurant. Don’t miss the tiki bar’s Campfire cocktail, featuring mezcal, agave, orange juice, lime juice, and grenadine with a chili-lime rim. (We’d recommend identifying a designated driver before you get there.) Fun fact: The tiki lanterns are solar-powered.

Cape May Bikes

Park your car and forget about it for the weekend. Cape May is a town that’s made for walking and biking. Head to Cape May Bikes and rent a vintage-inspired surrey to explore the area. Pro-tip: Be sure to reserve in advance, since bicycles are high in demand.

Laura Begley Bloom
Laura Begley Bloom is a travel expert and content strategist who writes for a wide range of magazines and websites and appears regularly on television outlets ranging from the Weather Channel to CNN. Journalism is part of Laura's heritage. Her great great grandfather was a Civil War correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. You can learn more about Laura on laurabegleybloom.com.