{"id":87805,"date":"2025-10-07T06:49:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T06:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.camping-biper-gorri.com\/non-categorise\/visiter-grottes-disturtiz-et-oxocelhaya\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T08:56:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T08:56:07","slug":"visit-isturtiz-and-oxocelhaya-caves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.camping-biper-gorri.com\/en\/places\/visit-isturtiz-and-oxocelhaya-caves\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit the Isturitz and Oxocelhaya caves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya<\/a> are an emblematic site in the Basque Country, classified as a Historic Monument since 1953<\/strong>. If you stay at a campsite near the Isturitz and Oxocelhaya caves, you can easily visit them and discover the fascinating prehistory and history<\/strong> of the region. Located near Espelette<\/a>, these caves are a must-see for tourism<\/strong> and archaeology<\/strong> enthusiasts. Just a few kilometers from our campsite, you can explore these prehistoric caves and their geological treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: https: \/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:The_entry_of_the_cave_of_Isturitz.jpg<\/a> \/ Author: Krijun<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Discover the caves<\/strong> ofISTURITZ and OXOCELHAYA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Grottes d’Isturitz and Oxocelhaya are exceptional archaeological sites<\/strong>, offering a journey back in time. Isturitz lies 20 km from the Atlantic Ocean, in an exceptional natural setting. It is packed with archaeological layers spanning two major periods: the Middle Paleolithic<\/strong> and the Upper Paleolithic<\/strong>. These caves were inhabited by the first humans and are one of the oldest traces of human activity in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Oxocelhaya cave, just below, is a veritable geological sanctuary<\/strong>, with magnificent concretions and remnants of rock art. Here you’ll find engravings and clay veneers depicting mainly horses, revealing a great deal of prehistoric art<\/g>. These two caves are a must-see tourist attraction<\/strong> for those wishing to understand the history of the region. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Isturitz cave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It occupies a privileged<\/strong> position in the foothills of the Western Pyrenees, just a short distance from the current shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean (around 30 km) and the first foothills of the Pyrenees (the first peaks over 1000 m are only 20 km away).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, its main geographical advantage is that it lies at the crossroads between the Aquitaine plain<\/strong> on the one hand, and the Basque-Cantabrian coast<\/strong> and the Ebro valley<\/strong> on the other, the latter being accessible to the south via a series of passes less than 30 kilometers apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stratigraphic section is made up of more than ten archaeological layers<\/strong> spread over two periods (Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Oxocelhaya cave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Oxocelhaya lies 15 metres below. It’s a magnificent cave sanctuary with a succession of highly concretioned chambers; the time scale is counted in millions of years<\/strong>, a textbook case for a geological reading of a magical underground world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prehistory is present in the form of rock art<\/strong>, with signs, engravings and clay veneers scattered throughout the depths of the galleries. Horses are the main feature. The Laplace<\/em> gallery is visited once a week<\/strong> for conservation reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n

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