Looking for love down the Shore? Here are 11 unique date ideas

Sydney Berger and her boyfriend recently took their fifth romantic getaway of the summer. Rather than jetting off to far-off destinations, the Philly couple venture to Jersey Shore almost every weekend.

They like to call their trips “mini vacations,” Berger said. The two lovebirds find the Shore, specifically Cape May, Avalon, and Wildwood Crest, particularly romantic with the plethora of outdoor activities available.

“We tend to get out of the city just so we can find more peace,” she said. “It’s not really the most romantic thing when you walk the dogs around a bunch of trash, whereas when you’re on a walk down [the Shore] with the dogs, it’s actually beautiful and you enjoy it.”

Armed with Cape May’s Yozu sushi, the two rode bikes from West Cape May to Higbee Beach — their go-to spot in the Shore town — and watched the sunset with a bottle of champagne as their dogs ran around in the sand.

For the 23-year-olds living with roommates, the getaways offer time to build their relationship.

“We go to the Shore to be alone,” Berger said. “We can be intimate and work on our relationship, communicate, and connect on a level that we won’t necessarily want to do in front of other people.”

To help you plan your romantic getaway at the Shore, we’ve compiled a list of date ideas from feeding alpacas to stargazing atop a lighthouse.

Here’s your alphabetically organized guide to dating down the Shore.

Cuddle on the beach with your boo and watch Jaws and Top Gun: Maverick at Avalon Recreation Department’s Beach Movies. Every Tuesday, free movies play on a large inflatable screen on the beach on 30th Street starting at dusk. If you’re in Point Pleasant on a Tuesday, Jenkinson’s Boardwalk offers free screenings at sunset on the beach in front of the aquarium.Both activities run till Aug 29.

📍30th Street & the beach, Avalon, 🌐 avalonrecreation.org; 📍300 Ocean Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, 🌐 jenkinsons.com

Listen to live music under the stars at the Lou Booth Amphitheater in North Wildwood. The free Concerts Under the Stars series runs till Aug. 31 with local entertainment, including Uptown Band and Real Diamond, a Neil Diamond tribute band. Grab your seats starting at 8 p.m.

📍2nd and Ocean Avenues, North Wildwood, 📞 609-522-7722, 🌐 northwildwood.com

Get to know each other while mingling among the stalls at the farmers market. Are they a blueberry fiend or a berry hater? The Downtown Wildwood Farmers Market begins at 8 a.m. every Saturday. In its 10th season, the market boasts 60-plus vendors with plenty of produce to choose from and no shortage of baked goods to try.

📍 3400 Pacific Ave., 🌐 dooww.com/farmersmarket

While you explore Wildwood’s boardwalk, take a cue from your favorite romantic comedy and get a smooch at the Morey’s Pier Ferris wheel. The Giant Wheel, located at Mariner’s Amusement Pier, is one of the largest on the East Coast at 156 feet high, offering stunning ocean views. Ride the Ferris wheel for six tickets ($1.63 per ticket with tax) or $9.78 per person. Others Ferris wheels to check out include the 90-foot ride (four tickets a person or $4) at Castaway Cove in Ocean City and the 227-foot ride ($13 per person) at Steel Pier in Atlantic City.

📍3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, 🌐 moreyspiers.com;📍1020 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 🌐 oceancityfun.com;📍1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, 🌐 thewheelatsteelpier.com

Spend your Saturday feeding carrots to alpacas at the small farm located in Green Creek, owned and operated by Jim and Tish Carpinelli. The Fence Line Feeding Tours are 30 minutes for groups of six or less to feed the alpacas at the fence line with a tour guide. There is no fee, just a donation box . But reservations a week in advance are required. Book your visit online. Private tours to enter the pens and mingle with the alpacas are also available Monday, Thursday, and Friday. They are limited to six people for $25 to $40 per group, depending on size. Reservations are required. (Note: July through August is booked.)

📍521 Route 47 South, Cape May, 📞 609-889-4957, 🌐 jerseyshorealpacas.com

While you could grab a blanket and picnic at the beach, why not let someone else take care of all the planning? If you’re willing to splurge, Jersey Shore Picnics Co. will set up a personalized picnic on the beach from Bradley Beach to Brigantine, complete with comfy pillows, blankets, and boho-inspired tablescape. The luxury pop-up picnic company offers two packages, which include two-hour bookings, setup/cleanup, styled picnic table, floor cushions and blankets, eatery setup, tabletop games, charcuterie board, sparkling water, bucket with ice, hand-lettered welcome sign, and bluetooth speaker. Packages start at $325, plus a 30% down payment and $100 refundable security deposit. There are also themed packages for proposals and sunrise picnicking, which include a pastry basket and hot coffee.

🌐 jerseyshorepicnicco.com

In the neon glow of arcade machines at Jilly’s Arcade in Ocean City, learn just how competitive your date is as you battle it out at Pac-Man or pinball. Games are as low as 25 cents to play, or grab a $25 “fun card” for one hour of play, or $30 for two hours. You could also check out Belmar’s Go Play Arcade and play old-school games like Skee-Ball and air hockey (50 cents to $5).

📍1168 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 📞 609-385-1234,🌐 jillysocnj.com; 📍1102 Main St., Belmar, 📞 732-681-7529, 🌐 belmargoplay.com

There’s something romantic about mini golf. Impress your date and hit a hole in one, or wrap your arms around each other to sink each hole together at the ADA-compliant 18-hole course at North Beach Mini Golf for $12. Surrey bike rentals are also offered at this Atlantic City boardwalk spot for a victory lap after. Or get goofy at Tee Time Golf on the Ocean City boardwalk and play among the giant animal structures for $5.

📍120 Euclid Ave., Atlantic City, 🌐 northbeachminigolf.com;📍640 Boardwalk, Ocean City, 🌐 facebook.com

Walking hand in hand, chat about exhibits, including AC Grit, a group exhibition highlighting South Jersey-based artists known for vibrant colors, gestural mark-making, and texture. Noyes Arts Garage, located in Atlantic City, is Stockton University’s art gallery. You and your partner can also sign up for art classes, poetry open mic, and other events like Big Prints Club, a collaborative woodcut project with finished blocks printed at Touch-A-Truck in Downtown Hammonton. There is no admission fee.

📍2200 Fairmount Ave., Atlantic City, 📞 609-626-3805, 🌐 artsgarageac.com

Calling all starry-eyed lovers: On evenings of the new moon, the place to be is the Cape May Lighthouse located in Cape May Point State Park. Climb 199 steps to the top of the lighthouse to witness the start of a new lunar cycle. Or without the light of the moon, stargaze and find constellations with your date. Head to the lighthouse on Aug. 16 and Sept. 14 from 8 to 10 p.m., or Oct. 14 and Nov. 13. from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults — buy them from the lighthouse keeper the evening of the event.

📍215 Lighthouse Ave., 🌐 capemaymac.org

Take a self-guided food tour through the Jersey Shore with Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan’s comprehensive guide to new dining options at the Shore. Start your morning with the cinnamon bun French toast at Green Eggs Cafe at the Chatterbox in Ocean City. Grab tamales and squash blossom empanadas at La Autentica Mexican Grill in Ocean City for lunch. Pop by Turtle Gut in Wildwood Crest, the “Shore’s primo destination to caffeinate,” as LaBan puts it, for your coffee fix — or stay for the weekly pop-up cioppino nights, a $60 tasting menu featuring local ingredients.

📍7609 New Jersey Ave., Wildwood Crest, 📞 610-675-4846, 🌐 turtlegut.com; 📍 1018 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, 📞 609-399-0027; 🌐 facebook.com/LaAutenticaNJ;📍 500 E. Ninth St., Ocean City, 📞 609-399-0113, 🌐 chatterboxoc.com