Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Newark to San Jose. The left side delivers the iconic NYC skyline and Hudson River on departure, and along the flight path over the Caribbean side of Central America offers views of the Yucatan Peninsula coastline and Cuban terrain. The right side has the better volcano view on landing, but the left side wins on total scenic value across the full flight.

During takeoff from Newark Liberty International (EWR), sit on the Left side for the best views. EWR departures heading south on runway 22L/22R put Manhattan directly to the left. You get a clear view of the NYC skyline, the Hudson River, and the Statue of Liberty as the aircraft climbs out over New Jersey and banks south. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

When landing at Juan Santamaria International (SJO), sit on the Right side for the best views. SJO sits in the Central Valley with the Cordillera Central volcanoes to the north. Aircraft typically approach from the northwest on runway 07, meaning the right side faces north toward Volcan Irazu and Volcan Barva, which are the dominant visual features on approach. Notable sights include: Volcan Irazu, Volcan Barva, Central Valley urban sprawl of San Jose, Cordillera Central ridge.

The flight from Newark Liberty International (EWR) to Juan Santamaria International (SJO) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours.

The flight tracks south-southwest over the Atlantic, crossing the Bahamas archipelago visible as shallow turquoise banks and cays, then over Cuba where the Sierra Maestra and central Cuban plains are visible on clear days, followed by the Caribbean Sea, the Yucatan Channel, and the mountainous spine of Honduras and Nicaragua before descending into Costa Rica's Central Valley