Horseshoe Bay is the most popular of Bowen’s 12 beaches. It is a picturesque little beach, lying out on the north-east tip of Cape Edgecumbe, 4 km from the town centre. The whole cape is composed of rounded granite rocks and boulders, including the famous landmark Mother Beddock, a large, round boulder perched seemingly precariously 100 m above Kings Beach. Horseshoe Bay beach (955) is just 150 m in length, faces north-east and is bordered by large, rounded granite boulder-headlands. The road runs right to the back of the beach where there is a car park, kiosk, an amenities block and a shady picnic area, with two small resorts tucked in behind. The beach receives low waves, usually less than 0.5 m, which combine with the medium to coarse granitic sand to build a steep beach at high tide, with a narrow, shallow bar exposed at low tide. Surf, currents and rips are rare, requiring waves greater than 0.5 m to form.
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.