Staying in a Cute Cape May NJ Bed and Breakfast

If you are looking to explore more of NJ in the summer time, you have to add staying in a cute Cape May New Jersey Bed and Breakfast to your NJ bucket list. Cape May is located at the southern tip of New Jersey. It is a charming seaside town where you will find picturesque Victorian homes, beautiful beaches, a cute downtown, and amazing restaurants. As a fellow New Jersey resident, Cape May is the ultimate local summer getaway. It feels like you went away for vacation even though you are still in Jersey! I’ll be sharing everything there is to do in Cape May New Jersey.

Where to Stay in Cape May

If you are looking where to stay, I highly recommend staying in a Cape May New Jersey Bed and Breakfast. Each one comes with it’s own unique charm and historic Victorian architecture. They are Cape May’s upscale accommodations. They offer either a seated or continental breakfast and some also offer an afternoon tea. Some are decorated with period antique furniture and others are fully modernized. They are a great choice for a weekend getaway for couples or with friends.

Here are some of the best charming Cape May Bed and Breakfasts:

Virginia Hotel

This is a beautiful 24 room boutique adults-only hotel in the heart of historic Cape May. This is a restored 1879 building that combines history with modern day amenities. It’s located just one block away from the beach. They offer continental breakfast in the privacy of your Guest Room or on the Front Porch. Beach service and pool service at Congress Hall is also included in your stay.

Mainstay Inn and Cottage

This adorable inn’s history began in 1872 and today, they still continue the historic traditions and commitment to hospitality of this special place. They have six rooms in the main house and six additional rooms across the courtyard in the cottage. For an alternative to the beach or town, guests can enjoy their sweeping veranda or the fountain in their side garden.

Guests of the inn can enjoy breakfast served in their lovely dining room in the spring and fall. In the summer, they offer a generous buffet that you can enjoy on their wide veranda or in the garden. The Cape May beach is just a block away and beach chairs and towels are provided for your use each day. They even have bottomless cookie jars!

Carroll Villa Hotel

This historic hotel was built in 1882 and only a two minute walk from the beach. For the beach, the hotel supplies towels, beach chairs, umbrellas, and beach tags. What makes this hotel different is that it’s attached to the Cape May restaurant, The Mad Batter. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A $30 breakfast voucher is included in the nightly room rate and hotel guests receive a 30% discount on the purchase of dinner entrees. Even if you aren’t staying at this hotel, I recommend trying out this restaurant for their brunch or lunch!

The Queen Victoria

This is an award winning Cape May bed and breakfast! The Queen Victoria has been voted Best of Cape May thirteen times. It is one block from the beach and two short blocks from the shopping and dining district. This hotel consists of three buildings and each one is different and unique, reflecting different aspects of the Victorian style and architecture.

The Harrison

This elegant Cape May bed and breakfast was built in 1867. This is the hotel I stayed at in Cape May and I loved it! I loved the mix of Victorian elegance and contemporary style. For breakfast, you get to choose your entree – they had one sweet and one savory option – that you got to enjoy in their dining room or outside porch. They also offered afternoon tea with delicious cakes, scones, and cookies. This hotel was also one block away from the beach and a few blocks away from the shops and restaurants.

What is there to do in Cape May

Cape May Beach

You can’t go to Cape May without visiting the beach. The beach at Cape May is really long and very clean. It’s a beautiful beach and so relaxing. Sometimes you can even see dolphins in the water! Beach tags are $8 for the day.

Washington Street Mall

Washington Street Mall is a picturesque town square with specialty boutiques, restaurants, dessert shops, and cafes. It’s basically a street that turned into pedestrian-only outdoor mall. It’s super cute and makes the perfect afternoon activity. You can find everything from fashion boutiques, bookstores, jewelry stands, candy stores, and ice cream shops.

Cape May County Park & Zoo

Cape May Zoo is such a fun activity to add to your Cape May itinerary! It’s over 200 acres you can find more than 550 animals. They also have a fishing pond, playgrounds, and an aerial rope course. Admission to the zoo is completely free – they do accept donations. They are open every day except Christmas. Summer hours are from 10am to 4:30pm. Fall and winter hours are from 10am to 3:30pm.

Cape May Wineries

A popular activity to do in Cape May is to visit one of their seven wineries! Here is a list of Cape May wineries:

Nauti Spirits Distillery

Nauti Spirits is a coastal farm to bottle distillery that specializes in vodka, gin, rum and whiskey. They offer tours, tastings, specialty cocktails, live music, special events, indoor and outdoor games

Kayaking

A fun water activity that you can do in Cape May is renting kayaks and paddle boards in the harbor. There a few rental companies you can choose from. We rented kayaks with Miss Chris Kayaks Paddleboards and Pontoons. We loved it! For kayaks, they have single and double kayaks and paddleboards that you can rent by the hour. They also offer kayak day and sunset tours and pontoon boat rentals.

Dolphin Watch Boat Tour

Did you know that you can see dolphins in Cape May? If you would love to see them, you have to do a dolphin watch boat tour. I recommend booking a tour with Thunder Cat Dolphin Watch. As opposed to other tours that hold up to hundreds of passengers, their tours only hold 49 people. Their speedboat creates waves that allow the dolphins to jump and play along. You will get an up close and personal experience with dolphins.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is one of Cape May’s most visited spots at sunset during the summer season. You will get a beautiful view of the sunset. They also have a Evening Flag Ceremony held every night at sunset between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Cape May Lighthouse

The Cape May lighthouse is located right at the tip of Cape May. It was built in 1859 and is fully restored. Visitors can climb 199 steps to the top for a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for children.

Mini Golf

Another fun activity is playing mini golf by the beach. This Cape May Mini Golf course has 18 holes and is open from 10am to 10:30pm. It’s a great activity with family, friends, and a fun date night idea!

Beach Plum Farm

Beach Plum Farm is a 62 acre farm that’s located 2 miles from Cape May’s downtown. They sell fresh produce, local products, housewares, and gifts. They also have a farm kitchen where they serve what’s fresh in the fields that morning. You can enjoy breakfast and lunch selections at their picnic tables.

Jersey Shore Alpacas

Jersey Shore Alpacas is a cute small farm located about 20 minutes away from downtown. Fence Line Feeding tours are offered on Saturdays by reservation only. In the tour, you get to learn about the farm, meet the alpacas and feed them.

Veranda Bar at Congress Hall

Grab a cocktail and relax at the Veranda Bar, Congress Hall’s beautiful outdoor cocktail bar. You can relax on a rocking chair on their veranda or choose an Adirondack overlooking the ocean.

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum

If you love history, check out the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Explore aviation and military history through hands-on exhibits and fun activities for the whole family.

Boat Tour

If you are with a group of friends, I recommend renting a tiki boat from Tiny Cruise Line. It is BYOB and the staff is awesome. I did this for my bachelorette party and it was so much fun! They have different size boats and you can choose from a 1.5 or 3 hour tour. In their 3 hour tour, they stop for swimming.

Cape May Bird Observatory

If you love birds, the Cape May Bird Observatory offers a variety of programs that you can enjoy. They have weekly walks, various workshops and special events led by their staff that take place at all the best birding and natural history locations around Cape May.

Where to Eat in Cape May

There are a lot of great restaurants in Cape May. I highly recommend booking dinner reservations in advanced. Here are some of my recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert: