Alvor Estuary 
The official list of places that can be voted upon was made public last Thursday in Lisbon.
Organisers of the project New 7 Wonders of Portugal, have dodged giving the specific number of valid applications, but confirmed the number was in “the hundreds”.
After assessing some 800 locations, a whittled-down list of final candidates was released this week.
The competition takes into account ‘Marine and Non-Marine Aquatic Areas, Caves and Grottoes, Beaches and Cliffs, Forests and Countryside, Large Landscapes (which includes mountains, valleys, mountain ranges and rock formations, amongst others) and Protected Areas’.
According to the ‘7 Natural Wonders of Portugal’ website, Large Landscapes was one of the categories with most valid applications, amongst which were Zêzere Glacier Valley (Manteigas), the Marvão and São Mamede mountain ranges (Portalegre) Pedras Parideiras (Arouca, Aveiro) and Pedra Bolideira (Chaves, Vila Real).
The river Vez (Arcos de Valdevez) and the Fisgas de Ermelo (Mondim de Basto) and Portas do Vale do Almourão (Proença-a-Nova) natural formations are also in that category.
Non-Marine Aquatic Areas the Óbidos Lake, Alvor Ria (Portimão), and the rivers Mouro (Monção), Alva (Moura Morta, Poiares), Douro (Peso da Régua) and Paiva (Arouca).
The category also comprises the Cabreia Waterfall (Sever do Vouga), Fraga da Pena (Arganil) and Sapal do Rio Coina (Barreiro).
Marine areas include Berlenga Island and the ‘Onda dos Supertube Wave’, on the Ondas do Supertubo beach, in Peniche.
Many beaches, cliff tops, forests and parts of Portuguese countryside have been put forward to become one of Portugal’s ‘Seven Natural Wonders’.
After the final list has been announced a panel of 77 specialists will elect 77 official candidates (11 places per category) which will be revealed on February 7th.
One month later, on March 7th, 21 finalists (three per category) will be announced and submitted to a public vote open until September 7th.
The final ‘Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal’ will be announced in September this year, after the public vote.
Edition: 1044 News Online |
