is metal detecting allowed in tulum,mexico?

[scubaozzy]

hello everyone..i am going on a week long vacation in july to tulum,mx. and was wondering if detecting is allowed there? tulum is about 1 hour south of cancun. if anyone can help it would be appreciated. thanks

 

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[TabWhisperer]

My only relatable is in 2004 we went to that area for vacation. On the return out of Cancun they inspected our luggage and were confiscating batteries. I pointed out these were batteries in the original package, not lithium, just regular Duracell's that I had brought with me into Mexico. Too bad for me. This POS agent acted real happy when she grabbed them and didn't look any farther into our luggage. It was nothing but a legalized theft fest for those people. Bottom line, don't trust anyone down there and be careful. You may want to think twice about taking your detector at all. I used to enjoy Mexico. I will not go back.

 

[scubaozzy]

i guess it could go both ways with batteries depending on airport from country to country..i just do not think they can get rich on a pack of batteries. but i see where your coming from also,it could of easily been a detector pack.i wonder if there is any place down there where detectors could be rented?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I detected for 3 weeks through several states, on land, all through Mexico, and never had any problems. Are you going land hunting, or beach hunting? Metal detectors are a common site on tourist beaches down there.

I don't see what the conversation of batteries has to do with the issue of legality of detecting though. Why not just buy batteries when you get down there? Yes there are dealers in the larger cities down there, and perhaps they do rentals. But don't see why you'd need to do that, if you can just take your own

If anyone ever did hear a "no" about detecting in Mexico anywhere, their answer was probably hatched from a bureucrat who was couching his answer in terms of shipwreck salvor laws, historic monuments, exporting gold bars, or other such things. No different than if you asked a typical lawyer in the USA: they too might be couching their answer when thinking of things like Bodie, Shiloh, Mel Fisher legal hassles, etc....

 

[zerojinx]

Last time i was in Mexico i saw people using detectors all the time. I personally did not use one when down there. I didn't see anyone detecting in and around monuments and don't think you can.

I can't say what will happen to anything you detect once you head back to the U.S. It is concievable it could get confiscated at customs. However, I personally wasn't ever searched, despite the dozens of times I went to Mexico, when recrossing the border, either at California, Texas or Arizona. I never went by plane. Just my two cents for what its worth.

 

[Mackaydon]

The Tulum archaeological site (area) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico, but being an archaeologically rich area, I'd be especially cautious of the authorities and not whip out my MD (or start digging !!) next to any of those ruins. My suggestion: Leave your MD in the hotel, then go to Tulum and inquire about MD-ing the area.
Don....

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Mackaydon, I agree, steer clear of obvious historic monuments, open archie digs, etc.. Same is true for the USA, or anywhere. But as far as inquiring about other areas, one needs to be careful that he doesn't fall prey to the pyschology I alluded to above. Ie.: you can sometimes get a no, from any perceived authority you ask, simply because of the way they couch their answer, or the way you asked your question, etc.. When in fact, no one may actually care, and there may be no rules (or at least not rules which, in practice, really apply).

There have been scores of examples of "people inquiring" before heading to Mexico, and getting a "no". Perhaps they ask a border consulate, a lawyer, the hotel, their cruize-line, etc.... Sounds logical, right? I mean, who better to ask, than Mexico themselves, right? But the psychology works like this: the mere fact that you felt you must ask, merely pre-assumes something is wrong, to begin with. Ie.: would you have asked if it was ok to fly frisbees? So with this inference in mind, the person you ask will try their durndest (you can never be too safe afterall, right?) to morph your question to fit with something meant for federal parks, or historic antiquities, or disturbing sandcrabs, etc.... And imagine those person's surprise, when they leave their detectors at home, only to see others hunting the beach resort with no problems.

If a person really feels they must inquire ahead of time, simply talk to hobbyists or dealers in that area, and see if and where they detect.

 

[Mackaydon]

Tom:
I respect your opinion but "simply talk to hobbyists or dealers in that area, and see if and where they detect." would not give me a greater comfort level in Mexico. Imagine, being stopped, questioned and (maybe arrested) and use as your defense your discussions with hobbyists and dealers who said it would be 'ok'.
Maybe here in Calif., but I wouldn't rely on those 'authorites' when my freedom might be at stake in Mexico.
Don........

 

[Tom_in_CA]

"Imagine, being stopped, questioned and (maybe arrested) ...... " Ok then, extrapilating out my example further, then why aren't the locals who detect with no problem "being stopped, questioned and (maybe arrested)"

 

[Mackaydon]

Sorry, but I haven't read where the locals at Tulum are not being stopped. I must have missed that memo.

 

[scubaozzy]

no i was not going to do any digging around arche. sites. i wanted to detect the beaches in the area. i think your right...i can take the detector with me and ask the hotel owner where we are staying and some of the locals if it's ok to do. thanks for the advice.

 

[Bluegrassriver]

I was in Tulum over the summer. You would not be able to walk through the historic ruins with a MD. Your best bet is to call the hotel far in advance. They will know who to ask to get more details.

 

[White Feather]

The wife and I spent 9 months driving all over Mexico and Belize with our diving gear, boat and motor on a trailer, three metal detectors and hundreds of pounds of other toys and never had a problem. Of course you do have to use a little common sense. Don't try to detect the ruins anywhere in Mexico or Belize. You could end up on a segment of "Locked up Abroad". Common sense people, beaches.....Yes. Ruins....Go to jail free for a long time.... That's a big NO NO!

We traveled and detected along the Gulf coast of Mexico through Cancun and down into Belize without incident. It was a great trip.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

white feather, your experience seems to be the norm down there (ie.: no one cared). But let me ask you: did you follow blue-grass-river's advice, to call ahead to the hotels and whatever authorities they referred you to, before you left?

 

[White Feather]

We never made a single call ahead. We traveled where and when we wanted. Once across the border at Brownsville we just wandered in whatever direction that caught our attention. At the border we had to restamp the serial number on the trailer because the border guard said it was not readable. So, I sat on a cinder block in the parking lot and used a nail and hammer to go over the number. After that we just started driving. Little towns and villages were the best. We stayed at many small hotels and ate at dozens and dozens of little roadside stands. Never did we get sick or have anyone try to hold us up except the local police asking for a few bucks at roadside stops. The military checkpoints were very professional and friendly. We often ended up sitting roadside talking with the soldiers. They were very interested in the American military and how it treated retired soldiers. We drove to many tourist sites without so much as a call to see if there was a room. Never did we have any problem. There was always room. We were pulling a trailer with all kinds of stuff piled high and never once did we have a problem with theft or vandalism until we arrived back stateside. The Mexican people were always helpful and friendly. I would try to always use my limited Spanish and there was always someone who wanted to try out their English. We all had a good laugh when my wife tried to speak Spanish with her deep southern Alabama accent. She would have everyone rolling on the floor.
The only thing we did stateside before going into Mexico was get auto insurance in Brownsville for Mexico. When we arrived in Belize we were sent to an insurance adjuster's office and for about $50 we were covered for our entire stay. I think we were there two or three months with one more trip up to Progresso, Mexico, over to Chichen Itza and then on to Cancun for a week or two before returning to Belize for a few several more weeks before returning stateside.
At Talum there is a great little area within walking distance south of the ruins right out on the beach that has little huts on the beach, bigger rooms up from the beach with beds suspended from the rafters. Awesome1 Real swinging beds. Think about it.
The restaurant and bar are very nice and the food was five star with very cheap prices. A room was $5 and a great breakfast was about $3. I guess that's long gone by now. It was "Discovered" shortly after we were there.
I don't know if we would try another trip like that in today's world. The shootings and such with all the drug wars would give me cause to wonder if it was safe anymore. But, when we did it, there was no way I would have traded that time for anything. That was only about four or years ago. Things change, places change and people change.

 

[ianSF]

I'd stay away from Tulum as it's a protected archaeological site.

That being said, I brought my Minelab during a 10 day stay in 2008. No hassles at customs.

I hit the beaches on Isla de Mujares, Cancun, a street demo by a 1545 church in Valladolid, several city parks, and (with permission) an orange grove on the grounds of an old church outside of town.

NO ONE had anything negative to say. Just smile, nod, and fill holes and pick up the trash. Everyone was really cool about it. The local police cautioned me away from the wet cement, but otherwise let me detect at the construction site in the dirt/demo areas. Try getting away with that in the U.S. without a trespassing charge!

When I was done I had dinner in a nice Mayan restaurant at the town square, detector, shovel, and goodie bag on the floor next to the table. Some nice Germans came by and asked some questions about detecting in Mexico.

Mexico is far more calm and laid back then one would gather from the evening news.

 

[zerojinx]

We never made a single call ahead. We traveled where and when we wanted. Once across the border at Brownsville we just wandered in whatever direction that caught our attention. At the border we had to restamp the serial number on the trailer because the border guard said it was not readable. So, I sat on a cinder block in the parking lot and used a nail and hammer to go over the number. After that we just started driving. Little towns and villages were the best. We stayed at many small hotels and ate at dozens and dozens of little roadside stands. Never did we get sick or have anyone try to hold us up except the local police asking for a few bucks at roadside stops. The military checkpoints were very professional and friendly. We often ended up sitting roadside talking with the soldiers. They were very interested in the American military and how it treated retired soldiers. We drove to many tourist sites without so much as a call to see if there was a room. Never did we have any problem. There was always room. We were pulling a trailer with all kinds of stuff piled high and never once did we have a problem with theft or vandalism until we arrived back stateside. The Mexican people were always helpful and friendly. I would try to always use my limited Spanish and there was always someone who wanted to try out their English. We all had a good laugh when my wife tried to speak Spanish with her deep southern Alabama accent. She would have everyone rolling on the floor.

I did something similar in the late 1990's. I wandered at my leisure on a bycicle in Mexico for 6 months, even got a job for a month. Like you I never had any problem. Everyone was friendly, especially in the smaller towns. Of course this was before all the drug violence that plagues Mexico now.