We always knew it, but now it is confirmed! Cape May, NJ has been voted one of the top ten small coastal towns in the USA Today 2021 Reader’s Choice Awards! What makes us one of the best beach towns? First and foremost, great beaches, of course! But that is just one element of a great small town. Other important elements are great shopping choices (#2 in best small-town shopping), continuing links to our history, and amazing local produce!

Don’t take our word for it! Book a stay at our family-friendly, historic hotel and see for yourself why Cape May, NJ is one of the oldest seaside resorts in the United States. We have welcomed visitors since the first whalers and fishermen in the 1600s. It’s more than a beach town; it’s our home.

Sense of Community

Some people say that in Cape May, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Although you can certainly see growth and updates around town, we are not a town of high-rise buildings and games of chance along the boardwalk. Our town is filled with blocks of historic Victorian homes, many of them converted to bed and breakfasts, so you can share in their architectural and historic wonder.

Cape May is home to the only Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in the US, and those Coast Guard recruits, as well as other members of the training center, are an integral part of our community. Although things can get a little busy during the summer, we are genuinely involved in the town and continue to want this amazing beach town to be a friendly, inviting, and extremely safe place.

Unique Shops

Did we already mention that Cape May was voted #2 in the country for Best Small Town Shopping? Stroll down Main Street, and among historic buildings and you will find an outdoor walking mall spanning more than three blocks, with brick pathways, decorative fountains, and lots of wooden benches surrounding gorgeous planters. The main shopping areas in Cape May are concentrated on the mall, the Washington Commons, Carpenter’s Square Mall (located behind the Washington Street Mall on Carpenter’s Lane), the beachfront, and West Cape May, primarily where West Perry Street meets Park Boulevard.

What will you find in these areas? Just about everything except big box stores! One-of-a-kind clothing stores, handmade wares, local artwork, artisan foods, bookstores, and antiques! Here is a partial directory. And none of them are very far from the beach.

Closer to Nature

Did you notice we haven’t even talked about the beach yet? Out of the 44 beaches in New Jersey, Cape May was rated #1! The beach is big and super clean. We are not just about the beach; we love and care for all of the natural beauty around us.

The South Cape May Meadows is a 200-acre preserve that is a paradise for bird-lovers, but an amazing place to walk and enjoy nature and solitude with the water and the lighthouse in the background.

North of Cape May (we are, after all, Exit 0 on the NJ Turnpike) you will see agricultural fields, a rare glimpse of farm life near a beach town. New Jersey is the Garden State, right? Those farms give us local wine, as well as all of the amazing produce for our true farm-to-table restaurants.

These are all very convincing reasons for Cape May being chosen as one of the top ten small coastal towns. We want you to see for yourself why we are the best beach town to visit this summer. Don’t wait too long! Cape May’s Victorian homes, with their large porches and cooling sea breezes, aren’t a secret. Book your stay online, or give us a call! There is nothing we would rather do than talk about our amazing seaside paradise!

Updated June 2022.