Seeing Gran Desierto de Altar from a plane
Photo: Gcorpart ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The largest active field of sand dunes in North America, at the head of the Gulf of California. Look for golden dunes wrapped around the dark lava and round craters of the Pinacate volcanic field.
13 of our routes pass it. Sonora
The easy pick
San Diego to Panama City: sit on the left, 29 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas to San Jose del Cabo | Left (the right side is better for the whole flight) | 40 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Lima | Left | 34 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Puebla | Left | 38 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Guatemala City | Left | 39 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Liberia | Left | 40 min after takeoff |
| Los Angeles to Mazatlan | Left | 41 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Panama City | Left | 29 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Monterrey | Right | 78 min after takeoff |
| San Francisco to Mexico City | Left | 84 min after takeoff |
| San Jose to Morelia | Left | 65 min after takeoff |
| San Jose to Leon | Left | 68 min after takeoff |
| San Jose to Zacatecas | Left | 69 min after takeoff |
| San Jose to Guadalajara | Left | 70 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Gran Desierto de Altar from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (12 of 13). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Gran Desierto de Altar from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on 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
Sonoran Desert Colorado Desert Mexicali Picacho del Diablo Salton Sea Las Vegas (LAS) Los Angeles (LAX) San Diego (SAN) San Francisco (SFO) All routes