Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Cancun to Newark. Left side wins both ends of the flight. The Caribbean departure views from Cancun are spectacular, and the Manhattan approach on landing is one of the best urban arrivals in commercial aviation. Over the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern US the views are relatively flat on both sides, so the decisive moments are at departure and arrival where left clearly wins.

During takeoff from Cancun International (CUN), sit on the Left side for the best views. Cancun's main runway 12/30 means northbound departures typically head northeast over the Caribbean. The left side gives you the Hotel Zone peninsula, Nichupte Lagoon, and the turquoise Caribbean waters as you climb out. The right side faces inland toward scrubby jungle with little of interest. Notable sights include: Cancun Hotel Zone peninsula, Laguna Nichupte, Isla Mujeres offshore, Caribbean reef color gradients.

When landing at Newark Liberty International (EWR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Arrivals into EWR from the south typically use runway 22L/22R or 29, with approaches over New Jersey. The left side gives you Manhattan's skyline across the Hudson River during final approach, which is one of the most recognizable urban views in aviation. The right side faces toward New Jersey suburbs and Newark Bay with far less drama. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

The flight from Cancun International (CUN) to Newark Liberty International (EWR) takes Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours.

The flight tracks northeast over the Yucatan Channel, then across Cuba or along its northern coast, then over the Bahamas and Atlantic coastal waters before crossing the Florida-Georgia coast. Over the US Southeast you pass over the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states. The Gulf Stream is visible as a color shift in the Atlantic waters off Florida. The Appalachian ridgelines of Virginia and Maryland appear as parallel northeast-southwest trending dark ridges in the final hour before descent.