Beaches

Cape May

Cape May, NJ · Jersey Shore$Beach tags for ages 12 and up, $30 for the season if bought preseason; 11 and under free

About

More than 600 Victorian-era buildings are still in use in Cape May, at the southern tip of New Jersey, and the whole town is a National Historic Landmark. Clear quartz pebbles called Cape May diamonds wash up at Sunset Beach, near Cape May Point, where the wreck of the concrete ship SS Atlantus sits just offshore. It has almost fully sunk, so how much of it shows depends on the tide. The 1859 lighthouse in Cape May Point State Park still works as a navigation light, and its 199 steps are open grating, so skip the heels. You need a beach tag from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Highlights

Whole town a National Historic LandmarkCape May diamonds and the SS Atlantus1859 lighthouse, 199 steps upDolphin and whale watching from the harbor

Getting there

704 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204

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