Portugal · One excursion a month
When was your last real adventure?
Micro Adventures runs small outdoor excursions for people who want to unplug and experience the beautiful nature of Portugal with other like-minded individuals. The next one is a full-day outdoor experience with a cycling trip from Cascais to Praia da Ursa along the Atlantic, a hike to a hidden beach, a Krav Maga workshop, a picnic lunch and an optional group dinner at Dom Quixote's Windmill. Come solo or bring your crew.
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Pick the options you want. The price updates as you go.
Unplug. Get out. Connect.
As knowledge workers, we spend our time behind screens for work most of the day. Our idea of logging off is opening Instagram and/or doom scrolling social media. Weekends come and we all yearn for human connection but it typically involves bars - rarely do we get out of the concrete jungle to connect in nature. Ultimately what we all want is meaningful connection, personal growth and a sense of adventure.
What if once per month you knew there was a mini adventure trip that could be done in a weekend revealing to you the hidden gems right in your own backyard? No cell phones, no laptops. Just unadulterated nature shared with other individuals seeking adventure and novel experiences. And what if in these magical destinations, accessible within just a few hours' drive you could step outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself by learning a new skill, conquering an old fear, tackling a hard challenge, and return from this weekend refreshed not with just new friendships but new personal growth?
This is Micro Adventures. We conduct compact nature excursions that challenge people and bring them together in collaboration and cooperation. We're early in developing this experience - join and help shape the development of the Micro Adventure phenomenon.
August 22nd, 2026 · Cascais, Portugal
Ride the coast road to Praia da Ursa
We rent eBikes in Cascais and then ride along the Atlantic up the coast to the hidden beach of Praia da Ursa. We'll picnic there then hike back up and continue to Cabo da Roca, the western-most point in Europe. We'll get some self-defense training in the afternoon and a brief introduction to Krav Maga and the cycle to dinner at Dom Quixote's Windmill. Van pickup of the eBikes and optional departure or overnight stay at a nearby Quinta with a cloud forest hike the next day.
What you can expect
An unforgettable experience
A full day on the water in a landscape most people never see. You come home with a story worth telling.
New skills
A self-defense primer and introduction to Krav Maga with emphasis on situational awareness, de-escalation, proxemics and the basics of self defense.
New friends
Shared novelty and shared problem-solving is how strangers become friends faster than they do in any bar. You leave with a tight crew, not just another Instagram follow.
The agenda
How the day runs.
Day 1
Saturday, 22 August
9:30am
Meet in Cascais and pick up the bikes
10am
Roll out, riding toward Praia do Guincho
11am
Push on toward Praia da Ursa
12pm
Hike down to Praia da Ursa for a picnic on the beach
1pm
Krav Maga primer: a self-defense intro on the sand
2pm
Hike back up, then cycle to Cabo da Roca
4pm
Cycle on to Moinho Dom Quixote
6pm
Dinner at Moinho Dom Quixote
7pm
Bikes collected
8pm
Day wraps
What is provided, what to bring
Show up ready. We handle the rest.
We provide
Water for the day, plus coolers and refrigeration so your food and drinks stay cold from morning to the last session.
Meals
Come having eaten breakfast. Lunch on the day is on us. Dinner is the group meal - you buy your own, whatever you are craving.
Bring
Sunscreen and proper footwear, since we move over rough terrain. Pack a swimsuit if you're swimming at Praia da Ursa and wear loose-fitting gym clothes if you're doing the self defense workshop. Both the swim and the self-defense workshop are optional.
Who is running it
Your Guides
Field Master
Tom Williams
Tom won Season 1 of the UK edition of Alone, surviving 35 days on his own in the Dehcho region of Northwest Territories, Canada. He has spent two decades teaching bushcraft and survival to beginners and veterans.
Through his long-running program Desert Island Survival, Tom has run hundreds of trips. On Micro Adventures he is your field authority - the survival expert on the ground, the medical safety anchor, and the person who has actually done everything you will be learning.
Principal
Sean Tierney
Sean is a seasoned veteran of the outdoors and a former EMT, knowledgeable in disaster preparedness and wilderness survival. He is the founder of Prep.Training, a site designed to gamify and normalize disaster preparedness.
He has extensive experience in technology and runs Vibecode Lisboa, a school teaching agentic AI to people in Lisbon.
Getting there
How far is the drive?
The pin below marks the general region, not the exact spot. We send the precise meeting point to everyone who is confirmed. Tap below to check your own drive time from wherever you are starting.
Calculate your driveQuestions people ask first.
Who is this for?+
People who want a real day outdoors and would rather not spend another Saturday in a bar. No prior experience needed - you learn what you need on the day.
Is this dangerous?+
No. Small group with real supervision, an on-the-ground safety anchor (Sean - former EMT, a first-aid kit, proper insurance), never far from roads and medical care. We move at the slowest-comfortable pace in the group, not the fastest.
Do I need to be fit?+
Moderate fitness is plenty. You will be on your feet and outdoors for a full day. If you can walk briskly for an hour, you are in.
Do I need to know how to do the activity already?+
Usually not - you get a briefing before you start and the day is built for people doing it for the first time. The exception is anything you have to be able to do before you arrive: on a cycling day, you need to be able to ride a bicycle. Check the trip's own page if you are unsure.
Will there be a fire?+
Not this time. Portugal is in wildfire season and we do not build one. Skills that would normally involve fire are practiced without it.
What is included?+
The base ticket covers the day: guiding, on-the-ground safety, lunch, and the field skills sessions. Gear rental and the overnight are optional add-ons at checkout - whatever the day needs is offered there. Dinner in town is the group meal out and you pay for your own. We send a detailed packing list once you are confirmed.
Where do we sleep (if I stay overnight)?+
At the Quinta near the lake. Sleep in a tent under the stars (bring your own or rent ours), take a shared bed in the attic dorm, or upgrade to a private room. Pick at checkout.
Is the event pet friendly?+
Yes for the kayaking day - bring your dog along. The overnight at the Quinta is the exception: no pets there, so if you are staying the night you will need to make other arrangements.
What if the weather is bad?+
Late July in central Portugal is almost always warm and dry. We plan around outlier days. If conditions ever make the day unsafe we reschedule and communicate quickly.
I don't know anyone else going. Is that weird?+
No. Come solo or bring your crew. Half the point is meeting people you did not know before you showed up.
Is this the only event?+
First of many. More locations, more themes, more dates - the next three are listed further down this page. Getting in on this one means you help shape what the format becomes.
Who is running Micro Adventures?+
Sean Tierney is the founder and Principal of Micro Adventures - he designs the events and runs the community and logistics. Tom Williams is the Field Master, a hired consultant and the survival authority and safety anchor on the ground.
From the field
Photos from our last event
What is coming
A preview of what's to come.
One excursion a month, every month. Here is what is already on the calendar.
What has already happened
Past trips.
Every one of these ran. Open one to see how the day went.
Jul 25
Recreational Kayak Day - Zêzere
The Zêzere area, Portugal
A relaxed day on the water. No skills test, no scoring - just a good crew, a good put-in spot, and the option to stay overnight.
Jun 6
The First Hike - Sintra area
Sintra area, Portugal
The hike that started it all - the first Micro Adventures group out in the Sintra area, before there was a Micro Adventures.
August 22nd · Twenty spots
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