# Harpea's Cave, France: what it is and when to go > Harpea's Cave is an anticline cave on the Franco-Spanish border (Harpeako leizea / Grotte d'Arpea) in France (Orbaitzeta). Interests: Nature. The best time to visit is April to October. In June there are 15 h 10 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 50. It has articles in 4 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in France: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/cueva-de-arpea/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-02 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Anticline cave on the Franco-Spanish border · Nature - **Local name:** Harpeako leizea / Grotte d'Arpea - **Where:** France · Orbaitzeta - **Best time:** April to October. - **Nearest airport:** BOD Bordeaux, 203 km as the crow flies - **Price:** Gratis - **Coordinates:** 43.0331, -1.18 ## What it is and where Harpea's Cave is an anticline cave on the Franco-Spanish border (Harpeako leizea / Grotte d'Arpea) in France (Orbaitzeta). It has articles in 4 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in France: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. It is in [Orbaitzeta](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/orbaitzeta/), where this site lists 34 more places to see, 0 m from the centre. Its coordinates are 43.0331, -1.18; the nearest main airport is Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD, Bordeaux), 203 km as the crow flies. How to get around France (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=43.033102%2C-1.179998) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=43.033102%2C-1.179998) It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/naturaleza/) places in France. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Harpea's Cave is **April to October**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 9 h 10 | | February | Possible | 10 h 18 | | March | Possible | 11 h 39 | | April | Best time | 13 h 11 | | May | Best time | 14 h 28 | | June | Best time | 15 h 10 | | July | Best time | 14 h 53 | | August | Best time | 13 h 46 | | September | Best time | 12 h 17 | | October | Best time | 10 h 47 | | November | Possible | 9 h 29 | | December | Possible | 8 h 50 | In June there are 15 h 10 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 50. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to France in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to France To enter France there are 6 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Valid ID card (DNI) or passport”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the France checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Euro (EUR); plugs: Type C and E · 230 V · 50 Hz; emergencies: 112 · 15 ambulance (SAMU) · 17 police · 18 fire brigade. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Errozate](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/errozate/): Mountain of the Pyrenees Mountains · 1.4 km - [Saiarri](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/sayarre/): Mountain of the Basque Country · 1.7 km - [Variante 4.2](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/variante-4-2/): Hiking · 1.8 km - [Organbideko etxola](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/organbideko-etxola/): Hiking · 3.2 km - [HRP Variante 5.1](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/hrp-variante-5-1/): Hiking · 3.5 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the France guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/). ## More in France: Nature - [Mont Blanc](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/mont-blanc/): highest mountain in the Alps - [Chartres Cathedral](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/cathedrale-notre-dame/): medieval Catholic cathedral in Chartres, France - [Lascaux](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/lascaux-cave/): cave in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings - [Chauvet Cave](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/grotte-chauvet/): cave in France - [Champ de Mars](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/campo-de-marte/): large public green space in Paris, France - [Jardin du Luxembourg](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/luxembourg-garden/): urban park in Paris, France Every France place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/naturaleza/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Harpea's Cave? It is an anticline cave on the Franco-Spanish border (Harpeako leizea / Grotte d'Arpea in the local language) in France. It has articles in 4 Wikipedias, so it is not one of the busiest places in France: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. ### When is the best time to visit Harpea's Cave? April to October. In June there are 15 h 10 of daylight, and in December, 8 h 50. ### How do you get to Harpea's Cave? The nearest main airport is Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD), 203 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=43.033102%2C-1.179998) opens the route on the map, and how to get around France is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the France map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Errozate](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/errozate/), [Saiarri](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/sayarre/), [Variante 4.2](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/variante-4-2/). The rest is in [the France guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/europa/francia/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3373738041), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28494476), CC0. More about Harpea's Cave on [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpea's_Cave). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).