There are plenty of reasons to set a course for Cape May, New Jersey. This historic seaside town at the southernmost tip of the state has been famous as a summer resort destination for more than 200 years. Steeped in fishing lore, it’s home to numerous offshore tournaments and top-rated marinas, where transient slips lure boaters from around the world. It’s a great place to visit in the summer high season, and there’s more than enough to see and do after Labor Day, as the crowds depart and the destination becomes easier to explore.

Colonial Roots

Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system. Sir Henry Hudson was the first to chart the coast in 1609, although he never set foot on land here. That honor was claimed by the Dutch captain and explorer Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, who came ashore in 1621. Ten years later, the first settlers developed a prosperous fishing and whaling community, predating whaling in New England by nearly 100 years. Marine resources were so abundant that by the mid-1700s, English colonists from Connecticut and Massachusetts began moving here and introducing farming to the region.

The area grew slowly during the next 100 years as New York City, Baltimore and Philadelphia became urban centers. As city folk are known to do, they began seeking out places to get away from it all. Visitors arrived by wagon and stagecoach, on sloops and schooners, and they stayed in public houses, taverns and residential homes to enjoy the clean ocean air, the great fishing and the abundance of oysters and crabs. Over time, the town became even more of a getaway for city elites as luxury hotels, music pavilions and ballrooms were built. Cape May became known as the Queen of Seaside Resorts, a title it still holds today.

BIG FISH

Cape May is one of the top angling destinations on the East Coast. Locals know the best bluewater fishing of the year takes place after the major summer tournaments are over and the crush of boats have moved on. White marlin—the billfish the region is best known for—gather in the nearby canyons in September to feed heavily before beginning their southward migration. The bite can be spectacular. Yellowfin, bigeye and bluefin tuna are also abundant and remain in the area well into the fall months.

“Most people don’t realize just how good the fishing can be here,” says Capt. Ryan Higgins, a company captain for Viking Yachts. “I used to run boats in Venezuela, which supposedly had the best white marlin fishery in the world. My best day there, we released 22 whites and a blue, but I’ve beaten that on numerous occasions in Cape May.”

Dick Weber, the founder of Cape May’s popular MidAtlantic billfish tournament, started coming to Cape May as a boy in the early 1950s. His father worked for the railroad, and this town was the family’s annual vacation spot. “It was mostly a commercial fishing port back then, with a fleet of maybe 30 charter boats that sailed for small bluefish near the inlet,” Weber says.

Eventually, fishing became a full-time career and passion for him. Years later, Weber and his wife, Bobbi, opened the South Jersey Fishing and Hunting Center and began attracting an elite fishing crowd. In 1985, Weber purchased the rundown Portofino Marina and started remaking it into one of the top boating and fishing resorts in the country. center. The Canyon Club Resort Marina helped make Cape May one of the top sportfishing destinations on the East Coast.

VINTAGE VICTORIAN

Cape May is one of the nation’s few National Historic Landmark Cities, filled with a concentration of Victorian architecture. There are dozens of lovingly maintained hotels and B&Bs dating back to before the turn of the last century. Walk along the promenade on Ocean Avenue and you’ll pass one historic building after another. You can even take a horse-drawn carriage ride.

Also worth a visit is the beautifully preserved Cape May Lighthouse built in 1859. One of the oldest continually operating navigational beacons in the country, it’s located in a manicured park at the southernmost point of the state. The original Fresnel lens installed 165 years ago is on display in the Museum of Cape May County.

The Washington Street Mall in the center of town is a pedestrian-only area with shops, ice cream parlors and restaurants. Stop for a brew and some history at the Ugly Mug, where the ceiling is filled with, you guessed it, mugs.

Cape May is also a good stop for foodies. From breakfast spots to top dock-and-dines, it’s all here. The Lobster House is one of the area’s oldest and most famous restaurants; it’s on a wharf where a fleet of commercial vessels offload the catch of the day. The historic 130-foot Grand Banks twin-masted schooner American is moored alongside, with outdoor dining and a bar on her decks. Or, slip your lines and cruise a few miles to the Lower Thorofare, where you can dock at the Crab House at Two Mile Landing.

Have you ever wondered where all the members of the U.S. Coast Guard got their start? Right here at Training Center Cape May, the sole accession point for the entire enlisted workforce. The docks on the main harbor are filled with training vessels, from motor life boats to cutters of various sizes. You’ll cruise past the training center on your way to major marinas after you transit the all-weather inlet.

If you’re into birding, there are two Audubon centers in the area, and several conservancies with marsh areas for songbirds, raptors and a variety of seabirds. If you like golf, the Cape May National Golf Club is nearby.

With so much to do, plan your stay carefully. The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce website is a good starting point. 

This article was originally published in the September 2023 issue.