Where to Stay in Cape May

This is the postcard. Gingerbread B&Bs line Hughes Street, Columbia Avenue, and Jackson Street, most built between 1879 and 1890. You're a five minute walk from Washington Street Mall, the pedestrian shopping strip with Uncle Bill's Pancake House and the Original Fudge Kitchen. The Emlen Physick Estate sits on Washington Street and runs the trolley tours. Park your car once and forget it. Most B&Bs include breakfast and afternoon tea, which sounds twee until you taste the scones. Book Congress Hall or The Virginia Hotel if you want a full hotel feel without losing the period detail.

Best for

First-time visitorscouplesanyone who wants the Cape May experience without driving

Walk times

Washington Street Mall 5 min
Beach Avenue 8 min
Cape May Lighthouse 25 min

Skip if: You want a modern hotel with a pool deck and room service

Local tip: Park behind your B&B and walk. Street parking on Hughes and Columbia fills by 10am in summer.

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$246per night

Beach Avenue

Oceanfront with the boardwalk at your door

Luxury $250-$600/night

Beach Avenue runs the length of the promenade from Wilmington Avenue to Madison Avenue. Stay here and your room faces the Atlantic, with Convention Hall and the free beach concerts a short walk south. The Montreal Inn, La Mer Beachfront Resort, and Marquis de Lafayette anchor this stretch. You're three blocks from the Washington Street Mall and ten minutes walk to Sunset Beach for the Cape May Diamonds. Rooms with ocean views run 30 to 40 percent more than street side. Worth it for one trip, skip it if you plan to be out all day. Beach tags cost $14 daily and are required for ages 12 and up from May 30 through September.

Best for

Beach-first tripsfamilies with young kidsanyone who wants to hear waves at night

Walk times

Promenade 1 min
Washington Street Mall 7 min
Convention Hall 4 min

Skip if: You're visiting in shoulder season and want to save the oceanfront premium

Local tip: Madison Avenue end is quieter than Wilmington. Same beach, half the foot traffic.

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$280per night

West Cape May

Quiet streets and the best food in town

Mid-range $160-$320/night

Cross the Cape May Canal bridge and you're in West Cape May within two minutes. This is where locals actually live. Sunset Boulevard runs through it, with Beach Plum Farm, Willow Creek Winery, and the Lobster House on the way to Sunset Beach. Stay at The Mason Cottage or one of the smaller inns on Broadway and Park Boulevard. You need a car or a bike, since the Historic District is a 20 minute walk and Beach Avenue is 25. Restaurants here cost 20 to 30 percent less than tourist-strip equivalents. Try Hot Dog Tommy's on Jackson and Exit Zero Filling Station on West Perry.

Best for

Repeat visitorsfoodiestravelers who want to spend less and see more

Walk times

Sunset Beach 15 min
Historic District 20 min
Cape May Brewing 10 min

Skip if: You don't want to bike or drive to the beach

Local tip: The farmers market at Wilbraham Park runs Tuesdays from 3 to 7pm, June through September.

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$179per night

Cape May Point

Lighthouse, birds, and almost no one

Luxury $180-$380/night

Two miles southwest of downtown, Cape May Point is its own borough with maybe 250 year-round residents. The 157-foot lighthouse sits in Cape May Point State Park, and the surrounding marshes are a top-five birding spot in North America during fall migration. Sunset Beach faces west across Delaware Bay, the only east coast beach where you watch the sun drop into the water. Lodging is sparse: the Sea Crest Inn on Beach Avenue, a few rentals on Lehigh Avenue, and B&Bs on Yale Avenue. You need a car. Restaurants close by 9pm and there's no nightlife. That's the point.

Best for

Birdersphotographerscouples who want quietreturn visitors avoiding crowds

Walk times

Sunset Beach 8 min
Cape May Lighthouse 12 min
Downtown Cape May 8 min

Skip if: You want walkable dining or any kind of evening scene

Local tip: WWII Bunker is at Sunset Beach. Show up at low tide to see how far it has sunk into the sand.

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$202per night