Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Faro. The left side wins overall because while the right side has a decent London departure view, the left side captures the Bay of Biscay coastline of northern Spain, the Portuguese coast as you track south, and the spectacular Ria Formosa lagoon on arrival — more sustained and varied scenery across the full flight.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs westbound on runways 27L/27R, so a right-side seat gives you a view south over Surrey and then the Thames valley as you bank southwest. You'll see the river snaking east toward central London before it drops behind you. Notable sights include: River Thames curving east toward London, Windsor Castle and Great Park to the west, Surrey Hills to the south, M25 motorway ring.

When landing at Faro (FAO), sit on the Left side for the best views. Faro typically lands on runway 10 (eastbound approach from the Atlantic) or runway 28 (westbound). On the common runway 10 approach from the west, left-side seats look south over the Ria Formosa lagoon system and the barrier islands of the Algarve coast, which is one of the most distinctive coastal landscapes in southern Europe. On runway 28, left side still captures the lagoon on final. Notable sights include: Ria Formosa lagoon and barrier islands, Faro city and its old town peninsula, Ilha de Tavira barrier island chain, Atlantic coastline of the Algarve.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Faro (FAO) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

The flight tracks southwest over the English Channel, crossing the French Atlantic coast near Biarritz, then over the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain before following the Portuguese coast southward past Lisbon and the Tagus estuary, arriving over the flat Alentejo plains before descending to the Algarve coast.