More Best Beaches on the Jersey Shore

MORE Best Beaches on the Jersey Shore

Whew, thought you were done? (If you are just joining us now, check out Best Beaches before you begin the sequel. There are way too many best beaches on the Jersey Shore to cover on one page.)

The southern part of the Jersey Shore has its own distinct ambiance. Yes, there is and Cape May and Atlantic City, but there are a lot of really beautiful, unique beaches that have special following who think theirs are the best beaches. One of the greatest things about this part of the Jersey Shore is that it is so convenient to Philadelphia. For lots of Philadelphians, Jersey Shore = summer.

Lovely Somers Point is the oldest settlement in Atlantic County, New Jersey (founded 1693). But never mind history, what a location! Ten miles away from Atlantic City and only 60 miles east of Philadelphia, this is another one of those great beaches that are real towns where people live, work and enjoy the water.

We are not going in alphabetical order here, but in order of popularity. It is no coincidence that Sea Girt is the next town to look at after Somers Point. This lovely town is known as much for its home town feel and typical Jersey Shore thirty something bars, such as the Parker House, Rods and Edgars. The beach is fabulous, even if part of it is taken up by the National Guard Camp.

If you haven't been to LBI (Long Beach Island), you haven't been to one of the truly best beaches on the Jersey Shore. LBI is a stunning barrier reef off the coast, made up of miles of white sandy beaches and broken down into a number of small towns. If it weren't for the water towers, you wouldn't know if you were in Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, or Surf City! But each town has a beautiful beach, great restaurants and shops and tons of things to do.

Point Pleasant Beach is another one of those great Shore towns where the same families have been spending summer vacations for 20 years or more. Just south of Manasquan Inlet, with its fleet of party boats, this town is a great blue collar family town with lots of summer rentals, amusement parks, great restaurants and Jenkinson's (don't ask.) Day trippers make a point of visiting the Festival of the Atlantic held each September.

Beach purists swear by Island Beach State Park as the ultimate beach experience, at least here in the northeast U.S. This state park consists of ten miles of beautiful, protected, sandy beach and is one of the largest reserves of undeveloped barrier island in the United States. Minutes away from the craziness of Seaside Heights, this oasis of calmness and natural beauty attracts those who need only sand, water and sun for a perfect beach day. Needless to say, there are no rides, restaurants or bars. What you see is what you get: the beach and the water, that's it.

The town of Long Branch was the country's first seaside resort, and was a fashionable resort before we even became a nation. Among many others, many presidents travelled to Long Branch to enjoy the salt waters. Seven Presidents Park is named in honor of the many visits by these gentlemen, including Ulysses S. Grant and Woodrow Wilson. Today, in addition to the beach and the busy downtown with its great restaurants is Long Branch's latest attraction: Pier One Village, with its upscale shops, lodging and restaurants.

Ocean City New Jersey was named the #1 Family Beach Resort in the COUNTRY! by the Travel Channel. If you are looking for a fun, reasonably priced vacation that will have the whole family raving, set your sites for Ocean City, New Jersey.

Ocean Grove is a lovely Victorian town that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has more Victorian gingerbread homes than any other place in the United States. If you enjoy this beautiful type of architecture, you may want to visit OG just to see these great buildings, but, of course, like all Shore towns, it also has a great beach, so bring your bathing suit as well as your camera.

Now you really have a hard time choosing the perfect Jersey Shore town for you. You may just have to visit them all!