Seeing Big Sur coast from a plane
About 90 miles where the Santa Lucia Mountains plunge into the Pacific, one of the longest stretches of undeveloped coast in the lower 48. Look for Highway 1 clinging to the cliffs and its arched bridges over canyons.
5 of our routes pass it. California · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
San Diego to San Jose: sit on the left, on the way down.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 32 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to San Jose | Left | on the way down |
| San Diego to San Francisco | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 52 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Los Angeles | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 16 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to San Diego | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 16 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Big Sur coast from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (3 of 5). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Big Sur coast from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Monterey Bay San Jose Apple Park Moffett Field and Hangar One Googleplex Los Angeles (LAX) San Francisco (SFO) San Diego (SAN) All routes