Madrid has everything—the saying goes—except a beach, but the weekend break between the two summer sessions gave students the chance to explore Spain’s 4964 kilometers of coastline. The closest place to dip into salt water is only one hour and forty minutes away by the high-speed train in Valencia. Student favorites? Gandía (Costa Blanca), Ibiza (Balearic Islands), San Sebastián, and Caños de Meca (Cádiz).