Airports with the best window views

The online portal PrivateFly.com has published an annual rating of the best views from the window of an aircraft during takeoff and landing. The 2014 poll held among website visitors ended with the victory of Nice Airport. The main city of the Côte d'Azur won this title from last year's favorite - Saint-Martin.

The list of the most favorite panoramas of travelers also includes views of the airports of Barra (Scotland), Rio de Janeiro, Gibraltar, Squamish (Canada), London.

Initially, the list of candidates included the panorama of the Sochi airport, but the Russian city failed to gain the required number of votes.

(Total 10 photos)

1. Nice Airport, Cote d'Azur (Photo: Eric Gaillard / Reuters)

Tourists are invariably impressed by the moment when, under the wing of an airplane, the Mediterranean Sea of the famous azure hue is suddenly replaced by the mountain peaks of the Alps. Travelers are fascinated by the smooth coastline and numerous snow-white yachts that can already be seen on the water from a small height.

2. The plane comes in for a landing over Maho Beach on the island of St. Maarten (Photo: St. Martin Tourism Bureau / AP)

A rare traveler will remain indifferent when his plane is landing at Princess Juliana Airport on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. After all, you will have to fly right over the heads of holidaymakers vacationing on Maho Beach.

3. Sandy beach in close proximity to Barra airport (Photo: Cara Anna / AP)

Those who have landed at Barra Airport in Scotland are sure that there is no such amazing view in the world. Mountains and coasts, turquoise waters, an ancient castle and, finally, a sandy beach, on which the plane lands, pass before the tourists staring in amazement through the windows.

4. Surroundings of Squamish Airport (Photo: Andy Clark / Reuters)

The airport of Canadian Squamish, a small town in the province of British Columbia, is comfortably squeezed between densely forested hills, snow-capped high mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Passengers find this place truly unique.

5. Panorama of Rio de Janeiro (Photo: Felipe Dana / AP)

Travelers take their breath away when, looking out the window, they finally see with their own eyes Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain and the lights of Rio.

6. London City Airport (Photo: Alastair Grant / AP)

Flying up to the London airport, serving mainly business aviation, you can see many of the sights of the city at once. Passengers believe that the view is simply excellent: the plane makes a circle when landing, allowing you to fully appreciate the beauties of the British capital, admire its Canary Wharf business district.

7. Runway at Gibraltar Airport (Photo: Javier Barbancho / AP)

Many seasoned travelers call the Gibraltar airport area the most amazing in the world. And no wonder: this is one of the few airports where the runway crosses the highway. The cars are patiently waiting for the plane to pass by. Then a rapid increase in speed - and the car starts from a short runway, beyond which there is only the ocean.

8. McCarran Airport, Las Vegas (Photo: Julie Jacobson / AP)

Probably, any person has seen Las Vegas panoramas at least once on the screen, in Hollywood films. But that's in the movies, but in reality, the surroundings of the city airport are even more beautiful. According to travelers, the weather is always good there and there is something to see during takeoff and landing, because the airport is located right in the city center. In 2013, the views of the airport were ranked fifth in the ranking, but in 2014 they did not make it to the top list.

9. The area around Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming (Photo: Price Chambers / Reuters)

In 1940, located at the foot of the Teton Mountains, Wyoming Airport was recognized as a national monument. In 2012, travelers awarded its views an honorable third place, but in 2014, Jackson Hole was out of the top ten tourist sympathies.

10. Airport in Male, Maldives (Photo: Emmanuel Dunand / AFP)

The views of the surrounding area of this airport are consistently recognized as one of the most breathtaking in the world. How else, if clear blue water, white sand and tropical vegetation approach almost to the runway itself? In 2014, the views of the airport in Male were not included in the top ten most beautiful, but tourists rated them quite highly.