Florida Metal Detecting: Spanish Metal Detecting Hotspots

I’ll never forget this find, a tarnished Spanish silver real, stamped with the year 1742, emerging from the sands of St. Augustine Beach after a powerful nor’easter had reshaped the coastline overnight. That moment connected me to the sailors, settlers, and soldiers who walked these shores centuries before.

Florida’s sun-drenched beaches conceal centuries of Spanish colonial history dating from 1513 to 1821. With its strategic coastal position, Florida played a pivotal role in Spain’s maritime empire, leaving behind settlements, forts, and shipwrecks filled with historical artifacts. Whether you’re a seasoned treasure hunter like myself or just beginning your metal detecting journey, these shores offer rare opportunities to hold authentic pieces of America’s earliest European history.

Why Spanish Artifacts Wash Up on Florida’s Shores

When I first started metal detecting twenty years ago, my mentor Frank Rodriguez—a third-generation treasure hunter from Key West—explained why Florida became such a hotspot for Spanish colonial artifacts.

While Florida itself didn’t yield the gold and silver Spain craved, its geographic position was priceless. Florida was crucial for protecting Spanish ships carrying wealth from Central and South America along the Atlantic Gulf Stream through the Florida Strait en route to Spain. This maritime traffic created a treasure corridor along Florida’s coastline that continues to yield discoveries after violent storms.

The Spanish made two significant attempts at settlement. In 1559, Tristán de Luna y Arellano landed near what is now Pensacola with a fleet of 11 ships and over 1,400 people, establishing what researchers now recognize as the earliest multi-year European settlement in the United States. Though a hurricane devastated this colony, Spain tried again when Pedro Menendez established St. Augustine in 1565, which became America’s first permanent European colony.

Last summer, I joined a group of local detectorists who discovered colonial pottery fragments, lead fishing weights, copper fasteners, and iron nails from this period—humble items that nonetheless connect us directly to daily life in these early settlements.

Florida’s Metal Detecting Laws: My Personal Experience

Let me share a cautionary tale. My friend Dave once uncovered what appeared to be a Spanish mission bell fragment near St. Augustine. Excited by his find, he took it home without reporting it. A month later, he received a stern visit from state officials. The artifact was considered state property, and Dave faced potential legal consequences.

Any artifacts found that are considered historical must be reported to the Florida Division of Historical Resources. These items legally belong to the state, not the finder—a lesson Dave learned the hard way.

During my years of detecting, I’ve learned the rules vary by location: Metal detecting on State land is generally prohibited with few exceptions. Many public beaches allow detecting between the high tide line and the toe of the dune, but beaches within parks and preserves have specific restrictions.

I maintain good relationships with park managers across the state, which has occasionally granted me access to areas typically off-limits. When in doubt, always ask permission—it’s better to be told “no” than to face legal consequences.

Most recreational metal detecting doesn’t require a permit when conducted on public beaches, private property (with explicit owner permission), or for surface detecting in certain state park areas. However, archaeological research or excavation requires proper permits—something I’ve obtained twice for historical society projects.

My Top 5 Metal Detecting Hotspots for Spanish Colonial Artifacts

1. St. Augustine Area: Where I Found My First Real Spanish Treasure

St. Augustine Beach holds centuries of Spanish colonial history. I’ve personally uncovered old Spanish coins, military buttons, and religious medallions that reveal St. Augustine’s rich past. My club’s records show at least seven Spanish colonial silver reales dating to the 1700s discovered here in the past decade alone.

The Spanish heritage remains visible in the city’s distinctive architecture and layout. Metal detecting is permitted on St. Johns County Beaches, but prohibited in Anastasia State Park and Fort Matanzas National Park. I learned this distinction the hard way when a park ranger once confiscated my equipment for crossing an unmarked boundary.

2. Pensacola’s Historic Shores: Unexpected Treasures

Though I’m primarily an east coast hunter, I’ve made three productive trips to Pensacola. In 2018, after Hurricane Michael, I discovered a Spanish olive jar fragment and copper fasteners likely from the 16th century just east of where archaeologists confirmed the location of the 1559 Luna settlement.

The area features the Colonial Archaeological Trail, with educational outdoor displays showing ruins from various Spanish fortifications. Though detecting directly on these sites is prohibited, the surrounding beaches occasionally yield artifacts, especially after storm erosion.

What fascinates me about Pensacola are the Emanuel Point shipwrecks, believed to be remains of vessels from the original Luna expedition—recognized as Florida’s oldest identified shipwrecks. While these underwater sites are protected, artifacts occasionally wash ashore after storms.

This metal detector is great if you’re going to be getting wet: Nokta Pulsedive.

3. The Treasure Coast: My Winter Hunting Grounds

Every January, I spend some time detecting along Florida’s aptly-named Treasure Coast. The area between Seagrape Beach and Turtle Trail Beach contains the northern section of the famous 1715 Spanish Fleet wreck site. They are among the best beaches for metal detecting in Florida.

My best find here came in 2016—a gold escudo that had likely been buried in the sand for three centuries before a particularly severe erosion event brought it within reach of my detector. Local detectorists have discovered numerous silver coins from these ill-fated ships over the years.

Frank, my old mentor, preferred Wabasso Beach, which has yielded artifacts not only from the 1715 fleet disaster but also from the Spanish ship San Martin, which perished in 1618. We spent countless dawn patrols there, sometimes finding nothing, sometimes making discoveries that would leave us speechless.

4. Sebastian Inlet: Where Patience Pays Off

Some detectorists avoid Sebastian Inlet because it’s heavily hunted, but I’ve found that patience here is often rewarded. This area has consistently proven fruitful for treasure hunters seeking Spanish colonial artifacts.

During the 1980s, an estimated $300,000 worth of treasure was extracted from this area. While those days of easy pickings are gone, significant finds still occur. Just last year, a member of our club discovered a well-preserved bronze ship fitting after a severe nor’easter altered the beach profile dramatically overnight.

5. Melbourne Beach: Where I Meet Each New Year

I have a tradition of spending a day detecting at Melbourne Beach. It has a special energy—perhaps because much of the treasure from 18th-century Spanish shipwrecks found its way to these shores.

My most memorable find here wasn’t Spanish at all, but a British gold guinea from 1766—likely from a passenger aboard one of the Spanish vessels, as trade and travel was remarkably international even then.

Secrets From My Detecting Journal: Finding Success

Over my twenty years of hunting Florida’s Spanish colonial past, I’ve learned timing is everything. The day after a strong storm offers prime opportunities, as powerful waves frequently unearth buried treasures. Some of my most significant finds came not during the storm (which would be dangerous) but in that magical 24-48 hour window afterward.

I’ve also found tremendous value in connecting with local detecting communities. I’m an active member of the Central Florida Metal Detecting Club and occasionally join hunts with the Suncoast Research & Recovery Club and Treasure Coast Archaeological Society. These connections have led to permissions, knowledge, and friendships that have enriched my hobby beyond measure.

As for equipment, I learned a costly lesson early on. My first “bargain” detector failed after one saltwater excursion. For Florida’s challenging beach conditions, I now use a mid-range pulse induction detector for wet sand and a multi-frequency machine for dry sand hunting. I never head out without my long-handled stainless steel scoop, mesh debris sifter, and finds pouch.

Why This Matters: More Than Just Treasure

One rainy afternoon in 2013, I brought my Spanish artifacts collection to a local elementary school. I’ll never forget ten-year-old Maria’s face when I placed a 1723 silver coin in her gloved hand. “Someone from Spain touched this three hundred years ago,” she whispered, making a connection across centuries that no textbook could provide.

That’s why responsible metal detecting matters. Each artifact tells a story of Florida’s Spanish colonial period—from humble copper nails to gold coins from shipwrecked galleons. Through ethical practices and proper reporting, we help ensure these connections to Florida’s past remain available for future generations.

So grab your detector, research your chosen location’s specific regulations, and step into history. The beaches are waiting, and beneath the sand, centuries of Spanish colonial artifacts remain—not just as treasure to be found, but as tangible connections to the complex, fascinating story of how Florida became what it is today.