We attempted to cycle across Portugal with no GPS—just maps, a compass, and vibes—covering over 300 miles from Porto to Lisbon. We’re old enough to remember MapQuest, but young enough that GPS has basically guided our entire adult lives, and we realized we’d gotten way too dependent on it. So we turned off service and location services on our “map phone,” relied on the EuroVelo 1 route, and tried to prove we could still navigate the old-school way… while hauling chunky tires and heavy bags through heat, wrong turns, and nonstop hills. Over six days, we rode everything from smooth coastal bike paths to sketchy road sections where cars were flying past us. We ate our way through Portugal (pastel de nata, bifanas, and our beloved “sustenance bread”), celebrated Lindsey’s birthday on the ride, and tracked the brutal reality in the stats—like our 71-mile monster day and the surprise 2,624 ft climb on what was supposed to be “short.” On day five, safety won: after exhaustion, fading light, and a couple falls, we used GPS to get to a hotel and called it a fail… but a smart one. The biggest takeaway: maps are fun until they aren’t—if you do this, use GPS (and bring snacks).