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14 November 2013 by Alex Stewart
VirtualTourist voters choose Chile's Torres del Paine National Park as the (latest) Eighth Wonder.
Travel research website and community VirtualTourist has concluded a survey to discover the Eighth Wonder of the World. More than 300 entries were nominated from over 50 countries but after more than 5 million worldwide votes Chile's Torres del Paine National Park has emerged victorious.
Whilst the original Seven Wonders included only man-made achievements, such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Colossus of Rhodes and Great Pyramid of Giza, the candidates for Eighth Wonder were split between places at least partially engineered and destinations renowned for their natural beauty.
The winner, the Torres del Paine within Chilean Patagonia, is firmly in the latter camp. Recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it's known for its lakes, glaciers, waterfalls and steepling granite towers. Famed as a trekkers' paradise, it's also home to some spectacular wildlife.
Kimberley Stirdivant Wason, head of pr and marketing for VirtualTourist, declared, 'With its awe-inspiring physical attributes and breathtaking landscapes, it's no wonder our site visitors named Torres del Paine the winner.'
Other candidates included iconic destinations such as the Galápagos Islands and the Great Blue Hole and famed sites such as Hagia Sophia and Tikal, along with more maverick suggestions by eager tourism bureaus including the Iowa 80 Truckstop and Bristol Motor Speedway.
