Trip to the Costa de la Luz, Spain

The Atlantic stretch of Spain's southern coastline is appropriately called the Costa de la Luz, or Coast of Light. While Spain's Mediterranean Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) is notoriously touristy and dotted with ritzy resorts, its Atlantic shores, which span from the southern tip of Spain up to the Portuguese border, feature unspoiled stretches of natural dunes and sandy white beaches. Windy Tarifa is a windsurfer's paradise if your adrenalin is pumping to try out some fun watersports, whereas Cádiz's pristine golf courses will give you that relaxing 18-hole afternoon if you're dying to hit the links.

Depending on which city you're heading to, buses heading south to the various Costa de la Luz locales leave frequently from both the Estación del Prado de San Sebastián and Plaza de Armas bus stations.