“Beach Vision” Sees Improvements At Horseshoe
Umbrellas and lounge chairs, plenty of well-marked garbage and recycling bins, regularly maintained restrooms and a new concession are just some of the improvements recently made at Horseshoe Bay Beach.
“These additions to the Horseshoe Bay experience are part of Bermuda’s new ‘Beach Vision’. John Smith’s Bay, Clearwater, Horseshoe Bay, Shelly Bay and Tobacco Bay have been singled out for enhancements that both residents and visitors can enjoy. Beach Vision also provides entrepreneurial opportunities for local residents,” the Ministry said.
“While the five theme beaches are improved, Bermuda’s remaining beaches will not be developed further so they retain their natural beauty, and important natural habitats are protected.
“The enhancements to Horseshoe Bay were achieved through the collaboration of the Ministries of Environment, Public Works and Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, and the Departments of Planning and Parks, in conjunction with the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Parks Commission, Sustainable Development, and Keep Bermuda Beautiful.”
Minister of the Environment Cole Simons said, “I went to see for myself how locals and visitors were enjoying these improvements to one of our most treasured attractions.
“I found that everyone is working together and taking pride in what we provide to the public. In just a few months, I am proud to say we have accomplished quite a bit. We have more work to do to ensure the best possible experience for beach goers, but feedback so far has been positive.”
“Further enhancements are planned at Horseshoe Bay in the off-season, including restroom renovations, additional landscaping and a review of traffic flow,” the Ministry added,
“Beach Vision’ was launched in May of 2016. Feedback on ‘Beach Vision’ can be sent to: beaches@gov.bm.”
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I would not call that an improvement. The natural beauty of the beach is now covered up by a sea of chairs. Tobacco Bay is even worse, they might as well pour concrete on it. Too much congestion, chairs packed like sardines. The first time i saw the beach i did a u turn.
Yup, was there yesterday, I guess giving a political supporter exclusive rights to run the concession is the “beach vision”, selling the regular, overpriced fried fast food and sugar drinks whilst denying anyone else the chance to sell alternatives. Six departments/organizations to figure out they should have trash bins, congratulations, real trendsetters.
Rene we are in the Tourism business there will be 8,000 passengers and 3,000 workers getting off the ship today . Our job today is like herding cattle and providing a service in great demand as I fully expect today we will run out of chaises and umbrella’s . We have created 73 jobs at the beach plus security and entertainment .
The visitors seem to be having a great time and enjoying the Bermuda vibe with entertainment DAILY ! Come check us out on a slow day and bring family and friends .
Agreed. I like Tobacco Bay.
Say what you want but you’re making money hand over fist there and can’t get enough of it. Horseshoe is our #1 tourist attraction/activity. Government should seriously consider limiting the profits of anybody looking to run the concession there as the high prices leave a terrible taste in the mouths of so many tourists. Why charge $25/chair or whatever you do when we can charge much less and leave our tourists happy? We don’t need private enterprises raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars on beach chair rentals and simple food at a public beach. Profit, yes. But not the asinine amounts you’re currently making at the expense of our tourists.
With those principles you’d make a great landlord ….
We are charging a fair price and a much better product then last year when only metal beach chairs were rented opposed to nice chaise lounges . We also set up the customer and take no deposit which was not done in thus past and this has created many jobs. We are also paying tremendously more rent then the previous tenant and have invested well over a half million in our first couple of months into a property we have a short lease on and was ready to collapse.
Also a beach boy! I’m local. Bring my own umbrella and towel.
The restrooms are way better and cleaner than a year ago.
Can’t help but notice the big crew of locals moving chairs, picking up trash, etc.. WORKING!
And it looks like you have invested substantially in beach chairs perhaps you should consider spreading out the chairs so it doesn’t look so commercial. And you could avoid comments like “not the asinine amounts…”
Just a suggestion.
Rick Olson, I applaud you for taking charge and investing in our country but your RUM BUM bar is seriously awful. Horseshoe bay is the pride of all Bermudians and you have not done anything to make it look nice. Everything at that bar looks cheap, your staff at the bar are not presentable, your staff on the beach walk around with headphones in their ears and walk around with their pants around their ankles as they drag chairs, its disgraceful. You have my full support to make a great restaurant for both tourists and locals but you have dropped the ball on this. You have the ability to make RUM BUM amazing, and so far its terribly. Please bring up the service of your staff and make the place look presentable.
Perhaps some consideration could be given to how you place the chairs its a big beach and all the chairs were at the beginning of the beach making it look congested.
Rene,do you realize that Bermuda is a tourist destination ? have you been to the other Islands ? guess what Rene, they have umbrellas also..so our guest should enjoy our beatiful beaches without a little shade that a umbrella can provide…lady you need to get a life.
As a Bermudian I don’t travel and go to a beach. Ours are the prettiest there are so I would only be disappointed. You misinterpted my comment, umbrellas chairs etc are fine however when they are crowded together it’s not appealing especially when it doesn’t have to be that way.
I am sorry but those trash cans are ugly and lack any imagination. Go figure
Yea, I JUST HATE when I throw my used gum into an ugly trash bin.
Get over yourself. Find something else to b*tch about on a Monday morning. Some people, miserable much??
For God’sake it is a damn trash can…you are a bunch od stupid complainers.
@ J, Are you serios, you rather have a more decorative trash can? lol.. tell me you are joking.
After not going the beach here for years (7) I went over the weekend with 3 young kids and enjoyed it so much we returned the next day. Having the umbrellas , chairs , food , music and bathroom facilities where a huge plus! It made the day enjoyable. The staff were efficient and extremely pleasant each day. Definitely a massive improvement from what I had been use to at the beach. I am glad they are going to work on the parking cause that was a nightmare . Keep it up!
This is a great idea. It is silly that the other beaches have no bathroom facilities and lack basic concessions like food and water. Those trash cans look great and keep the wind from blowing away the trash. Well done!
Beaches are some of the only relatively natural places left on the island. Adding bathrooms and concession stands is only going to take away that “natural feel” of most beaches and make them more commercialised. I understand amenities on more of the tourist beaches… But leave the local beaches as they are.
I hear that, but I’m not going to want to deny somebody who wants to set up a mobile hot dog or snowcone cart near any beach.
Man, you are a fool..
Congratulations on the upgrades! Fantastic. But now I beg that those garbage cans be closely monitored and EMPTIED BEFORE OVERFLOWING. So often these receptacles become an eyesore at beaches and especially at bus stops because of poor servicing. Very important part of the whole picture!
You clearly don’t visit said beach daily.
And you don’t read. The poster did not reference Horshoe in particular but beaches as a whole. All of them.
Pointless putting out trash containers if they are not going to be emptied before overflowing.
Can something be done about Shelley Bay Beach ??? There is a great need for bathroom facilities there.
Ask Wayne Furbert. He knows it all
Yes, Waynes group of NO had plans, even said so. Go ask him.
These garbage bins are a joke and are not fitting to be used on any beach.
It seems the BTA think its a good idea but how much trash is left outside of the bin in one hour of use.
It’s worst to see trash on our best beach with a full capacity crowd.
Yes the Ministers and BTA Officials saw it when the beach was empty and of course they blind as there was very little tourist there, but 2 hours later those bins where full and ooops the trash goes where.
Please rethink and put our barrels back
?? What???!
If you can’t see it. I’m sorry.
We’ll done Mr Olsen.
Thanks for the Jobs!
Well done! This is a huge improvement! It makes so much sense to improve the facilities at the already commercialised beaches, and leave the natural beaches alone. This is great for both residents and visitors. Good job to all involved!
Can we do something about our roads. Both property owners and Government need to cut down and cut back the trees. There are areas we have to move the cars over because the sides are overgrown into the road and people cannot walk on side walks. There are weeds/trees growing where they shouldn’t. Next time we have a storm, power will be out from trees bringing down the wires. Where are the workers? Can’t blame it on the rain. This has been going on for years.
Thank you for enhancing these beaches! We were at Clearwater recently and I was shocked by how nice the bathroom facilities were. We have a baby and it was so great having clean, spacious bathrooms available. I can’t believe the silly comments here, there are so many beaches in Bermuda, why not have a few with full amenities. Well done to everyone involved.
Very nice but look at which one is full to the top with recyclables. Kind of pointless to have a recycle bin if nobody uses it. It is one thing to recycle at home but people are not going to take time to separate their trash on the way to the carpark.
Emptying these bins in a timely manner is going to be very labour intensive. Will there be somebody going from beach to beach with a small 4WD vehicle pulling a trailer removing full bags of trash & replacing bags?
Why do we not have dumpsters at every beach carpark? Not take away dumpster, but dumpsters that one driver with a truck picks up the dumpster, dumps it, puts it back & moves on to the next carpark with a dumpster. We have all seen these things overseas. One sanitation contractor makes his rounds to many places all having the same dumpsters.
great comment. But we can do better trashwise. The bins at Blue Hole are always overflowing and disgusting. The tour companies that take people there have a responsibility.
Also the many kids camps at Admiralty are also creating trash. (It is all juice boxes and fruit snacks from kids pack lunches). Again the camps have a responsibility.
Comment? Or? Criticism?
There trying, what are you doing?
It’s a start, but it’s still frustrating that 3 weeks after the “smash a bottle on the beach” event that we are still picking up large amounts of broken glass at Horseshoe.
Has any work been done their by Parks Dept to clean up the beach?
Not to my knowledge…still got glass in my foot the other day smh!
So sorry to hear that. totally sucks.
Well Cole What happen to warwick long Bay,The bathrooms need fixing also,they are in bad condition,tourist are there every day also, not just at horseshoe and clearwater.Thare is also a concession stand there.Why do you all continue to ignore that beach.it is one off the best beaches around with it’s pink sand and the small cove that attracts tourists and locals.
There was a budget a few years ago for bathrooms at 3 beaches. The Gov architects blew the entire lot on one at John Smiths, but its so far from the beach that no one knows its there.
Most of capital that has been earmarked for Parks is set aside for the new maintenance yard for parking their trucks and a lunch room in the Botanical Gardens. $5Million+ is what I remember hearing in the news. Unions=1, Tourists and Bermudians=0
@ Disappointed. Sshhh..
That’s why it’s beautiful!
Leave it alone.
Ya was just at Warwick on Friday and the bathroom’s were a disgrace. I was disgusted with the state of the bathroom at Warwick, very embarrassing considering its one of the best beaches…very impressed with Horseshoe and the facilities there tho!
Well done all concerned sorry it has taken SO LOOOOOONG!
And to DUAL,we do have to leave room for the “VICTIMS” you know.
please try and remember in the future.
It just amazes me the negativity of so many comments. A business man has come in to help boost our tourism and provided jobs for our community. When tourists come to a beach they want lounge chairs and umbrellas. If I recall they were most expensive in the past. The ocean is still clean and beautiful and you have pink sand between your toes, but you complain about the number of chairs? Visit any other beach around the world and tourists expect the same thing. The consession stand is no more expensive then getting fast food anywhere else in Bermuda, they even offer combo meals. You expect to pay more at a beach. The staff is pleasant. The added entertainment is a bonus whether it be a dj or group. You go t enhances the overall experience. Fine the bathrooms are in need of some upkeep but everything cannot be done over night. Instead of complaining about something so petty why not focus on the important issues facing our community.
You tell ‘em, Girl!! Or guy! Beach improvements are awesome.
Interesting … No matter who has the lease to our concession,there will complaints and praise all in the same breathe.
I remember over a decade ago … Glass and trash on the beach was a problem after having parties at the same venue. We had a spiral of violence haunting us as well. Months later a 1:ooam was placed on outside shows … Bermuda entertainment went completely flat. Look at the our summer’s since that ban has faded away. Promoters have doing well putting on events. That have helped our island’s tourism come alive … We have people from all sorts of nationalities coming to our island. We must upkeep, maintain and make steady improvements to keep business alive for 50 and more …
I hope eventually all our parks get their own improvements, enticing residents and visitors. If we want more we most provide more for all walks of life.
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