Sauna by the Sea (BeHuman day with Heatual)

We know: the ocean doesn't charge admission. What your €40 pays for is the rest of the afternoon: the Heatual sauna ritual (Finnish sauna with music, essential oils and guided breathwork), cold plunges in the Atlantic and an organic picnic by chef Anna Elisa de Castro. The group is capped at 15, since the sauna is small.

We spend most weeks in our heads. This Sunday belongs to the body: heat, then cold, then a slow meal on the grass with people who just shared the same unusual afternoon. When your skin and heartbeat get loud, the noise in your head goes quiet. After sweating and shivering side by side, people tend to drop the small talk.

You don't need any experience with saunas, cold water or breathwork, only some curiosity. Come alone or bring someone; you'll leave knowing a few more humans.

The afternoon
14:00 Arrival and welcome
14:30 The Heatual ritual: guided sauna rounds with music, essential oils and breathwork, alternating with dips in the sea
16:30 Organic picnic on the grass
17:30-18h Goodbyes

Who's hosting
BeHuman is a Lisbon community for people who want to step off autopilot and feel more.

Heatual, founded by Lia Ottoni, is a mobile sauna that brings the communal heat ritual back to everyday people. Lia's sessions go beyond an ordinary sauna: she guides each round with breathwork, music and essential oils, so the heat becomes a practice for calming the nervous system.

Anna Elisa de Castro is a chef trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York and a health counselor certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She founded N.O.S. Escola, wrote the book "Sem Tempero Não Dá" and presented cooking shows on Brazil's GNT channel. Her picnic is organic, seasonal and made to nourish you after the heat and the cold.

Getting there
Praia do Moinho (also called Praia da Mó) is a small cove next to Carcavelos beach, beside the São Julião da Barra fort. By train: Cascais line from Cais do Sodré to Carcavelos (about 20 min), then a walk of roughly 15–20 min along the seafront. By car: take the Marginal; parking can be tight on sunny Sundays.

What to bring
Swimwear for the sauna and the sea, plus dry clothes and a warm coat for afterwards. Water shoes or old sneakers, because the entry to the sea is rocky. Towels and water are provided, but your own are welcome. Avoid a heavy meal in the hours before 14:00.

FAQ
How cold is the sea? Around 16°C in late November. You decide how far you go in: up to your knees counts.

Will it be windy? The cove is sheltered from most directions, except for wind from the south. Bring a warm layer anyway.

What if it rains? Light rain: we go ahead, the sauna is warm. Storm: we move the date and you can transfer or get a refund.

I've never done this. Is it for me? Yes. Lia guides every step and you set your own pace.

Any health concerns? If you're pregnant, have a heart condition or blood pressure issues, check with your doctor first. Please skip alcohol beforehand.