With 147 kilometer of beautiful sandy shoreline, New Jersey is one of the best beach time getaways on the East Coast of the United States. Although occasionally only recognized for being home to meat-headed reality stars or party cities like Atlantic City, New Jersey is home to quality beaches for every sort of traveller. New Jersey's best beaches are often its best kept secrets, so where can travellers go for unbelievable beachfront to die for?
Cape May
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Cape May is the southernmost beach on the Jersey Shore. For those that are looking for a beach that doesn't have a boardwalk lit up with neon lights, Cape May is the place to head. This small town is charming and filled with real history, one where visitors can enjoy a truly quiet stroll around town or enjoy reading and sunbathing in peace on the beach. It shows off the kind of scenery that one would expect from New England, although not necessarily from the Jersey Shore.
Spring Lake
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Spring Lake is one of the best kept beach secrets in New Jersey. Not only does it host beautiful, clean white sand, but it is one of New Jersey's few upscale beaches. The shores aren't surrounded by pizzerias or boardwalk games but rather are lined by beautiful Victorian architecture and Bed and Breakfasts. Most beach visitors opt for the nearby Point Pleasant Beach, Jersey's most famous beach destination, so Spring Lake rarely draws in the crowds. It serves as the perfect escape for lovers or beach goers that don't really enjoy the crowds that so frequently pair with Jersey Shore beaches.
Planning a trip? Click here for official tourism resources.
Manasquan
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Manasquan doesn't quite know what kind of beach it wants to be. Some know it as a great surfing beach while others recognize it as a fine beach for families. Regardless of what sort of beach visitors see it as, its reputation for excelling in different beach aspects makes it one of New Jersey's best. While the portions of the beach with great swells make Manasquan great for surfing, those who crave swimming can easily walk down a kilometer or two for calmer waters that are perfect for swimming. However, for those that don't want to get in the water to cool off, the surfing waves make Manasquan even more beautiful combined with the natural scenery that surrounds the beach.
Long Beach Island
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Located around central New Jersey, Long Beach Island is the best beach going option for visitors that want to see as much as the Jersey Shore as they can in a short amount of time. This 40-kilometer long narrow island south of Seaside Heights is a giant sand bar, or in other words, a giant beach. For those that want the more developed beach experience, they can head to the commercial southern end of this beach island while the northern end provides that coveted lonely beach experience. Regardless of which stretch of sand visitors decide to spend their time on, they most certainly will want to spend their whole stay on the Jersey Shore in this beautiful beach area.
Sea Isle
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Sea Isle Beach is tucked between the massive family-friendly resort beaches of Wildwood and Ocean City. While both of those beaches are fine, especially if you have a family in tow, they can get a little overwhelming during beach season. For the family that doesn't need all that commercial entertainment and wants to spend their days enjoying the beach the traditional way with sand castles and swimming, Sea Isle is the perfect nearby escape. If nothing else, it is a beautiful vacation from an otherwise touristy area with a quiet beach town and some clear blue water and beautiful sand dunes.
Belmar
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Up in northern New Jersey is the oft-overlooked Belmar Beach. This particular beach is renowned for its luxurious oceanfront villas that provide the perfect venue for any beach vacation. From Belmar Beach, visitors can see for miles out over the calm ocean. Although Belmar is popular with families, in recent years it has attracted quite a college following. This has helped developed the town's nightlife, food scene and shopping into something that is worth checking out if visitors can tear themselves away from the sand.
Sandy Hook
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Although more recognized for their recent tragedy than their beaches, Sandy Hook is the northernmost beach town on the Jersey Shore. Like its name suggests, Sandy Hook sits on a hook-shaped spit of sand that is perfect for surfing, wind surfing, swimming and enjoying the natural scenery. On a clear day, visitors may even be able to catch glimpses of New York City in the distance. For visitors that have thoroughly explored the sand, there are forests, walking trails and salt marshes left to give an even more eclectic glimpse at this particular beach.
If you're looking to plan a trip to the Jersey Shore, comb the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau website for upcoming events, attractions, accommodation and more.