Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Miami to Madrid. The right side wins overall because the Miami departure view over Biscayne Bay and the barrier islands is genuinely spectacular and lasts a good 10-15 minutes during climb-out. The Madrid landing view on the left is excellent but shorter in duration. For the bulk of the transatlantic crossing, both sides see open ocean, so the departure experience tips the balance to the right.

During takeoff from Miami International (MIA), sit on the Right side for the best views. MIA typically departs east on runway 09 or northeast on runway 12, then turns north over the Atlantic. Right side gives you Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach's barrier islands, and the downtown Miami skyline as you climb out over the water. Left side faces the Everglades, which is flat and featureless at this stage. Notable sights include: Miami Beach barrier islands, Biscayne Bay, Port of Miami cruise terminals, downtown Miami skyline.

When landing at Barajas (MAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Barajas typically lands from the east on runways 32L/32R or from the south on 18L/18R. On the common northeast approach, the left side faces southwest over central Madrid — the city grid, the Manzanares River, and the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains rising behind the city are all on the left. Right side faces open Castilian meseta with little of interest. Notable sights include: Madrid city center and Gran Via corridor, Manzanares River, Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range, Retiro Park.

The flight from Miami International (MIA) to Barajas (MAD) takes Approximately 8 to 9 hours.

The flight tracks northeast from Miami across the Bahamas, then out over the open North Atlantic on a great circle route passing well south of Bermuda and north of the Azores islands (which may be faintly visible on the right side if routing passes close). The mid-Atlantic crossing is entirely open ocean. Approaching Europe, the coast of Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula appear, with the flat Castilian meseta dominating the final hour before Madrid.