Detecting in Honduras?

[Gila Marc]

Does anyone have any experience detecting in Central America, particularly Honduras? My wife and I plan to move there fairly soon and the relatives are very curious about my detectors. I don't think any of them have ever even seen one, much less used one. Of course there are all the usual stories about Spanish gold buried around Tegucigalpa, and pirate treasure on the north coast, but after years of detecting I have much more realistic expectations.

I know it's quite rare to see anyone detecting, even among Americans, and most of the locals cannot afford a detector of any sort. All the information I can get from American expatriates shows an Ace 250 or Fisher F2 is about the best anyone could ever hope to find locally, and few can afford them. Sounds like there might be some good opportunities there, and the laws are pretty lax on coins and Spanish artifacts, just don't try to get anything Mayan out of the country!

I've done a little detecting in Mexico and did pretty well as most of the ground is unsearched, but with the present situation there I wouldn't even bother anymore.

Marc

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Third world countries just be careful

 

[Tom_in_CA]

The situation with Mexico, and most south american countries, is that you're usually ignored, so long as you're not snooping around obvious historic monuments (just like here in the USA). However, people have been known to "inquire ahead" to consulates, lawyers, border bureaucrats, etc.... "just to make sure", asking questions like "is metal detecting allowed?" etc.... And believe it or not, some have received "no's". Perhaps the answer is born out of federal lands, or shipwreck salvor stuff, protected sites, exporting gold bars, blah blah blah.

So too might a foreigner get a "no" if he asked enough questions of enough legal beavers in the USA too. Because perhaps the USA person answering the question would couch the answer in terms of ARPA, mel fisher legal hassles, federal or state parks, lost & found laws, blah blah blah. Yet we all know you can detect here, if you use a little common sense. So too does it seem to be in South American countries. Detectors are a common site on all the tourist beaches there. And afterall, you're just looking for modern pocket change, RIGHT!?

As far as the treasures down there, superstition reigns supreme. Everyone down there thinks there's a treasure buried in every cave.