Could Newport Beach's Balboa Island Become The World's 8th Wonder?

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The city of Newport Beach is hoping to gain enough support to make Balboa Island the eighth wonder of the world.

Online travel community Virtualtourist.com — which boasts 2 million reviews of 61,000 destinations thanks to its 1.3 million members — is launching a contest to find the world's most deserving spot.

"Balboa Island is a quaint coastal community that combines the hip energy of the Southern California vibe with a relaxing atmosphere and feeling of tranquility only found in some of the most remote beaches in the world. Visitors from across the globe come to Newport Beach to experience the charm that Balboa Island offers," said Vicki Higgins, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Newport Beach Inc.

Voting for the contest began Monday and goes through Sept. 27. You can vote once a day by visiting virtualtourist.com/8thwonder.

"It's wonderful to have a nomination from every corner of the world so we are thrilled to receive Balboa Island as a nomination from Visit Newport Beach Inc.," said Giampiero Ambrosi, General Manager of VirtualTourist.com. "As one of the best travel guide resources on the web, members and visitors to our site have been to almost every country in the world.  We are eager to see which landmark they will choose to be crowned the 8th Wonder of the World."

Landmarks such as the Colosseum and Great Wall of China are considered modern wonders, but the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is the only remaining wonder of the ancient world.