Belmar New Jersey By the "Beautiful Sea"Belmar New Jersey literally means "Beautiful Sea", and the founders could not have picked a better name for this lovely town. Belmar is a REAL-ly nice town, in the most literal sense. It is a REAL town, where people live, work, go to school, eat and have fun. The kicker that makes it different? It is located on one of the best beaches along the Jersey Shore.Unlike many Jersey Shore towns, there are not a lot of tourist attractions that bring the crowds in droves. On this beach, you will find people who live right in the neighborhood, or not too far away. They are there for the sand and the surf, and if you are a purist who doesn't need rides and noise and cotton candy to make it a true beach vacation, this may be the place for you.
What Belmar New Jersey does have is wide, white sand beaches where kids and grownups alike love to swim, boogie board, surf and build sand castles. (There is even a sand castle contest that attracts profesional sand castle builders.) Beach fees are $7 for the day, but kids under 15 are free. Season passes are $60 ($15 for senior or disabled) so a two week stay makes it cheaper to go for the season pass. There are a number of great places to eat along the mile long boardwalk, from your typical hot dog/pizza stand to fine restaurants such as Matisse on Ocean Avenue.
The party crowd may slip off to
Kelly's,
Sunset's
or
the Headliner
in Neptune right next door, after the sun sets on the beach, but they also have a great choice of bars in right in Belmar, such as
D'Jais,
the Boathouse
and
Bar Anticipation.
Few of the beachgoers tire of sitting on the soft sand in the sun, but if you do, you can go para-sailing, rent a rowboat or jetski, take advantage of many of the summer events on or near the beach. The annual seafood festival is a big draw, with entertainment as well as great food. Spectatators and players come from all over the country for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Championships.
For a small town, Belmar has an impressive array of places to stay, for all tastes. There are half a dozen lovely B&Bs, as many guesthouses and cottages, and a number of hotels and motels. Many of the locals will offer a beach house for rent, a perfect way to feel like a native.
© 2011-2012 to-the-beaches.com All Rights Reserved
|
Of course, you have the day tripper, the weekender and the vacationer. Many families visit Belmar New Jersey from the northern parts of the state, and generations of the same family have been known to rent a house and go to the same beach for decades. Spend a quiet day with your toes in the sand and your nose in a book, and you will understand why.
Belmar is also home to one of the East Coast’s preeminent surfing championships, the "Belmar Pro", which attracts surfers from all over world.
