Metal Detecting in Spain

[rodtoms]

Metal Detecting in Spain can be done, but with caution.

MOD EDIT: see the 16th May 2017 update Robin added below

Down here in Costa Blanca south, we have formed an official club and each member has their own photo ID with NIE details and each member has public liability insurance, so if there is a claim about somebody falling down a hole you dug, you will be covered !!!.
We also have a strict code of conduct which we must adhere to at all times when metal detecting.

It is important for us to show people that our hobby is presented in a professional manner as In Spain,”Spanish people just don’t get our hobby at all"

As all land in Spain is owned by someone, you must get permission to metal detect, even on the beach.

We have contacted our local tourist boards and local councils to introduce our hobby and they have granted us permission to metal detect the beaches. Along the Costa Blanca beaches there are several different councils taking responsibility for their part of the beaches, so it’s no good getting one approval here, you have to find out who is responsible for what.
It has been a nightmare getting permission.

Fortunately, our metal detecting club is part of the ADAPT organisation who do loads of good things for the environment in our area, so we have credibility as good start.

There are metal detectorists who do it alone and haven’t joined a club and chance it...
you still get the tourist metal detecorist on the beaches without any permission and they seem to get away with it, but it is a lottery, weve heard that the police chased a guy off the beaches here because he was metal detecting.
On the other side of the coin, last month two beach police came up to us on their quad bikes and asked us what we were doing. We showed them our ID and other papers they then shook our hands and left us.!!!

If we haven’t got permission to do a beach, then we don’t do it.
Also, detecting on your own here is done at your own peril. Unemployment, & poverty is a major situation in Spain at the moment, It has been known that gangs have mugged a detectorist of the detector, as it a wealthy mans hobby over here. My advice is do it in pairs at especially at night or very early in the mornings.

Our club has already 20 members who love this hobby and when we meet every Friday (average 10 people turn up) we have a good 2-3 hours of metal detecting
If you need any tuition or guidance, we are there to give as much time as you need to help you. For newcomers, we put a "search and find training control area" on the beach, where we rope off a small area and plant different metal objects for you to find.

The annual membership fee is only 12€ per person per annum which starts January to December. This fee includes public liability insurance and photo ID and the use of all the other ADAPT activities if you want to.
.
In Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa,Pilar Horadada,San Pero,Los Alcazeras, the authorities have agreed we can metal detect the beaches, so long as we always wear our ID and can only metal detect certain times of the day, and that changes as the holiday season starts.
So far, we haven’t had any problems.

Incidently, in Andalusia , there is a total ban on metal detecting.

I hope I have given you an insight into metal detecting in Spain

If you need any more information, then ask

Cheers......... Roderick Toms.................r.toms@btinternet.com

[liamnolan]

Thanks for that Rod and the advice is handy for any members intending to bring a detector onto the beaches and avoid being locked up! Is all the detecting done on the beaches or is the ground too hard inland? Our UK climate is a bit like yours at the moment and the ground is very hard and difficult to dig, all the best, Liam B-)

[Dave8472]

Thanks for the post, we get many requests for information about detecting in Spain

Edit : mrix has now made a sticky thread so it won't get lost
Dave

[the barnacle]

thanks for the info much appreciated.

[topcat]

I lived in El Mojon , San Pedro for over 5 years and detected on the beaches all along the coast the mar Menor beach was my favourite and i had no problems even when detecting along side the police and gardia civil i could find enough money to pay all my gas bills and the gold and silver was an extra bonus , it was like detecting heaven

[Beaufighter]

nice to see theres a club in exactly the area where we go to in spain. we hope to be moving out to Guardamar in a year or so. so will be looking you guys up. will be over for our holiday in august so will drop you a line.

[crazycarb]

Are you going to show us your club finds?

[robin]

With now close on 50 members in the club we have done a summer split of the beaches north and south as if we turned up on mass it may cause a few logistical problems. I look after the northern meetings. (roughly Guardamar del Segura and up.) Rod does the southern meetings and is team leader for the detecting section of ADAPT.

The beaches as Rod has said each have their own set of rules and which we need to respect.

As its middle of summer the beaches are packed with tourist so we avoid the peak sizzling hours by doing dawn to 9.30 am and 8 pm to dark. Having said that there are beaches where the "sun" bathers are set up in the pitch black almost an hour before sun rise.

To add to that we have to avoid the sun lounger and beach bar areas as they are under license to the operators from the individual councils.

The beach cleaning machines on some beaches can be extremely thorough by taking off the first few inches of sand and removing any rubbish and more interesting items.
The cleaning machines can start at 3 am to sweep.

Other interesting problems are the swarms of jelly fish that are out and can give a painful sting (I know first hand). The revellers who have been up all night and the over curious kids and adults who want to know what we are doing.

That all being said there are quite a lot of coins to be found on the beaches surprisingly I am still find peseta coins. A huge amount of tin foil, pull tabs and bottle caps along with all sorts of fishing weights, keys, bits of odd metal, dental bridges (kid you not), toy cars etc etc

Every now and again we do find the odd bit of jewellery, a lot of it is silver or stainless steel and then the occasional bit of gold.

I have attached a of picture of some of finds from this year.

[LorraineB]

Thanks for this post ...
Are there any people detecting in Nerja or area please ...
The only difficulty is are we allowed to take detectors or Pro pointers abroad ?
Airport security would be a problem maybe ...
Will enjoy my holiday ...but miss detecting ...

[robin]

This is in Andulcia and metal detecting is effectively banned.

You can get permission but it takes months to get and only for specific spot.

and then only last 6 months

[Goldhunter]

I'm off to Mijas Costa in May, looking forward to detecting the local beach. Will probably take the excalibur II, good luck and thanks for the post.

[robin]

Sorry to be bearer of bad news but Metal detecting in Andalusia is banned.

You risk a very heavy fine and confiscation of your equipment.

[rodtoms]

March 26th 2013

Hy all

just a note from our Costa Blanca Metal detecting club which is called the "ADAPT metal detecting club"

Just a word of warning for those tourist metal detectorists that take their metal detecors to Benidorm.
The village just outside of benidorm called "Finestrat" which is walking distance from the Poniente beach benidorm, we have now had two feedbacks from (a. Finestrat town council (b. Finestrat tourist office), that we have been denied access to metal detect on their beaches. Please be aware as both replies were definately aggressive towards our official request, and confiscation of the detector and a heavy fine will be implemented if caught by officials.

The beaches of actual Benidorm itself are at the moment OK to metal detect on as long as you use a strict code of conduct by filling in your holes, not disturbing tourists sunbathing,detecting out of hours is a must, and not to detect around occupied sunbed areas and beach bars....common sense really.

regards

Roderick Toms
Team leader for ADAPT metal detecting club Costa Blanca

[robin]

Just to update this as of may 2017.

The WHOLE Valencia community, beaches, inland etc.
Metal detectors are banned without permit.
This law came in force in 2016 but now is being enforced.

If you get stopped by police you will possibly have your detector confiscated and fined.

The police are now actively targeting metal detector users on beaches in particular.
The police are patrolling the beaches all the time.

If you do manage to get a permit, which you can only do with residence certificate, registered address in spain etc many beaches are now out of bounds including popular ones in Torrevieja and many of them up the coast including Benidorm and beyond.

[Leejb92]

So where would i have to go to get a permit for metal detecting on the beach in benidorm i should have all necessary documents as ive lived here most my life .