Outdoors
Nature: going out safely
Forest access in summer, hunting season and Lake Saint-Cassien: what to check before a walk, a ride or a swim in the Pays de Fayence.
Weather warnings, Var
Access to the forests
From June to September the Var prefecture sets each day, for each forest area, whether access is allowed (fire risk). Rules are published for today and tomorrow.
Loading the prefecture's daily map…
| Town | Forest area(s) |
|---|---|
| Bagnols-en-Forêt | Esterel – |
| Callian | Plateau de Canjuers –Esterel – |
| Fayence | Plateau de Canjuers –Esterel – |
| Mons | Plateau de Canjuers – |
| Montauroux | Plateau de Canjuers –Esterel – |
| Saint-Paul-en-Forêt | Plateau de Canjuers –Esterel – |
| Seillans | Plateau de Canjuers –Esterel – |
| Tanneron | Esterel – |
| Tourrettes | Plateau de Canjuers –Esterel – |
Levels
- Access and work allowed
- Access allowed; work allowed with fire prevention and extinguishing equipment
- Access not recommended; work likely to start a fire prohibited (exceptions 5 am–1 pm)
- Access prohibited outside designated public areas (ZAPEF); work prohibited
- Access and work prohibited in all forests: EXTREME vigilance
Official daily map · Prefectoral order on forest access (Var)
Hunting season 2026-2027
Dates set by the Var prefecture. Hunting is not the same everywhere: private land, reserves and local hunting clubs' rules apply.
Hunting season open todayGeneral season: 13 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 (from 7 am on the opening day).
| Game | From | To | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild boar — driven hunt (early opening) open | 15 August 2026 | 11 September 2026 | Driven hunts only, every day. |
| Wild boar open | 13 September 2026 | 31 March 2027 | Bullet or bow only; hunt register compulsory. |
| Roe deer, red deer, fallow deer open | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 | Quota plan, bullet or bow. |
| Mouflon open | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 | Stalking, quota plan. |
| Chamois open | 13 September 2026 | 31 January 2027 | |
| Red-legged and grey partridge open | 13 September 2026 | 11 November 2026 | |
| Pheasant, quail open | 13 September 2026 | 31 January 2027 | |
| Hare, rabbit open | 13 September 2026 | 10 January 2027 | |
| Fox open | 13 September 2026 | 28 February 2027 | |
| Woodcock open | 13 September 2026 | 20 February 2027 | Limited, declared bag. |
| Hunting with hounds open | 15 September 2026 | 31 March 2027 |
Summer boar hunts (driven hunts, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays) are also authorised from 1 June 2026 to 14 August 2026 in Bagnols-en-Forêt, because of crop damage.
Sharing the countryside
- Wear bright colours in the woods during the season; keep dogs close.
- During driven hunts for large game, signs saying “chasse en cours” (hunt in progress) must be put up along roads and marked paths nearby: take them seriously.
- Hunters may not shoot towards roads, paths open to traffic, houses or gardens, and all participants in a driven hunt wear a high-visibility orange vest.
- A question or a problem? Ask the town hall for the local hunting club's contact details.
Only the official orders are legally binding. Arrêtés préfectoraux 2026-2027 (Fédération des chasseurs du Var) · Réglementation de la chasse (services de l'État dans le Var)
Lake Saint-Cassien
The lake is shared between Montauroux, Callian and Tanneron. Bathing water is tested by the regional health agency during the season.
| Montauroux | 2 sites : excellent |
|---|---|
| Tanneron | 3 sites : excellent |
- Latest bathing water results (Ministry of Health)
- The lake live on webcam
- Fishing requires a fishing licence (“carte de pêche”): see the official site.
Sources
- Forest access: daily map of the Var prefecture, read live; forest areas outline from the same site.
- Hunting: prefectoral orders of 12 May 2026 for the 2026-2027 season (opening and closing, early opening for wild boar, summer driven hunts), entered by hand by this site.
- Bathing: number of bathing sites by water quality (Ecolab, from regional health agency testing), Licence Ouverte 2.0.