Updated February 25, 2016.

Each summer hundreds of thousands of visitors from the Philadelphia area, New York, Maryland and Virginia choose to vacation along the world famous Jersey Shore.

Now Atlantic City is one of the world's favorite destinations and the beach differentiates it from any other gaming locale.

During the summer, the beaches are guarded by the country's first lifeguard organization and the water is safe thanks to a stringent State water quality program. More

Over 6.30 square miles in area, the island plays host to year round residents and visitors and home to the Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge - a 20,000-acre national park. Pristine beaches, wonderful waterways and a host of family entertainment venues are found all over the island.

Brigantine Beach is just minutes away from Atlantic City's endless casino entertainment and world famous boardwalk. More

Longport is known as a quiet and peaceful beach community, less hectic than any of the towns to the north, yet still within easy driving distance of the Atlantic City nightlife.

The beach at Longport is small, but impeccably clean with opportunities for sunbathing, kayaking, and surfing. More

Margate beaches are narrower than beaches at many other places at the Jersey Shore. There are a few dunes and those that do exist are artificial. They were created to protect beaches from nor'easters and hurricanes. Most beachfront houses are right against the bulkhead with nothing between them and the ocean. More

Ventnor NJ was also established at the end of the Victorian era, at the turn of the 19th century and has many beautiful Victorian homes and large ocean front homes built 100 years ago.

Ventnor City has large well maintained beaches that are almost always less crowded than their Atlantic City neighbor but still offer visitors and residents the same soft, white sand and great opportunities for swimming, surfing, kayaking and sail boating. More

Avalon beaches were voted by The Washingtonian the safest for swimming out of 30 beaches visited. The magazine called it "the best beach in New Jersey", with its gentle surf, natural dunes, a wide beach, and good life guards. It even has a small and well maintained boardwalk.

Avalon was ranked the seventh best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 Top 10 Beaches Contest sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. More

Continue reading here:

South Jersey Beaches: From LBI to Cape May Point, NJ