Spain votes for new top seven natural wonders — northern rocky island takes the crown

By Evelyn

Spain didn’t fight tooth and nail with other countries over the New Seven Wonders of the World.7 Natural Wonders of Spain But after a series of voting campaigns on the official website, the brand-new top seven natural wonders of Spain were officially announced in early June.

▲ Gaztelugatxe Island, 7 Natural Wonders of Spain (Photo credit: Reposted fromAllianz Global Assistance en España’s Facebook page)

A total of over 82,000 votes selected the seven natural wonders from a list of 20 candidates, which also included an ancient gold mining area. These seven natural wonders provide travelers with an alternative to the traditional World Heritage sites.

▲ Left: Somiedo National Park; Right: Cabo de Gata-Níjar National Park, 7 Natural Wonders of Spain (Photo credit: Reposted fromAllianz Global Assistance en España’s Facebook page)

Representatives of the campaign stated that Gaztelugatxe — a small island located off Spain’s northern coast — might be one of the least internationally recognized tourist destinations. For Spanish travelers, Las Médulas and the Lagunas de Ruidera National Parks are the most unfamiliar.

▲ Left: Las Médulas, an ancient gold mining mountain range; Right: Lagunas de Ruidera National Park (Photo credit: Reposted fromAllianz Global Assistance en España’s Facebook page)

In the final stage of the campaign, the travel insurance company Allianz Global Assistance will select a group of “explorers” to embark on a journey through Spain’s new seven wonders. All expenses, along with a salary of NT$60,000, will be covered by the company, allowing each traveler to explore each of the seven wonders over the course of two weeks.

The selected list of Spain’s top seven natural wonders is as follows:

Gaztelugatxe, a rocky island on the northern coast

Somiedo National Park, a paradise full of wildlife

Cabo de Gata-Níjar National Park, a volcanic landscape in southern Andalusia

Las Médulas, an ancient gold mining site

Lagunas de Ruidera National Park, a place filled with scenic lakes

Fuente Dé, a canyon in the Picos de Europa mountain range

As Catedrais Beach, the majestic northern coastline of Spain

▲ Fuente Dé, a canyon in the Picos de Europa mountain range, 7 Natural Wonders of Spain (Photo credit: Reposted fromAllianz Global Assistance en España’s Facebook page)