Description
The Villepey ponds are a lake and lagoon area, located in the town of Fréjus, near the mouth of the Argens, and the Saint-Aygulf district. This area of nearly 260 hectares is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Geography Located in the floodplain of the Argens between the Massif des Maures and the Massif de l'Esterel, the ponds of Villepey are entirely in the commune of Fréjus. They occupy a space between the Argens river and the foothills of the Moors, on the right bank of the river. The ponds consist of three ecologically distinct zones: A dune area: located to the south, between the ponds and the nearby Mediterranean Sea A marshy area proper a transition zone between the ponds and the plain, rather wooded. The area and the ponds are crossed by the Bras de l'étang de Villepey, a 5 km watercourse, which has its source in the town of Roquebrune-sur-Argens, north of the ponds1. The ponds communicate with the sea through the grau de la Galiote, a natural opening in the lido which occupies the seafront, but which tends to get silted up. Access The site is accessible by the departmental road 1098 (former RN98), to the south, by the sea, as well as by the departmental road 7, on the western edge. Access to the ponds themselves is mainly by foot or horseback.
