Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Miami to San Jose. The right side delivers the spectacular Miami departure over Biscayne Bay and the causeway islands, and over Cuba's western tip if routing takes you near it. The left side wins at landing, but the takeoff view is more dramatic overall, and the right side also tracks the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica on descent in some routing scenarios.

During takeoff from Miami International (MIA), sit on the Right side for the best views. MIA typically departs east on runway 08R/09, then turns south over Biscayne Bay. The right side gives you a clear look at downtown Miami's skyline, the Port of Miami, and the causeway islands before the aircraft banks south over open water. Notable sights include: Downtown Miami skyline, Biscayne Bay, Port of Miami, Virginia Key and Key Biscayne.

When landing at Juan Santamaria International (SJO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SJO sits in the Central Valley and aircraft typically approach from the east on runway 07, meaning the left side faces north toward the Cordillera Central, including Volcan Irazu and Volcan Barva. These are the most dramatic visible features on approach, with Irazu's crater visible on clear days. Notable sights include: Volcan Irazu, Volcan Barva, Cordillera Central, San Jose urban sprawl in the Central Valley.

The flight from Miami International (MIA) to Juan Santamaria International (SJO) takes Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight crosses Cuba's western provinces near Pinar del Rio, then the Caribbean Sea over the Cayman Islands area, followed by the mountainous interior of Honduras and Nicaragua's Lake Nicaragua (Lago de Nicaragua), one of the largest lakes in Central America and clearly visible from altitude, before descending into Costa Rica's Central Valley.