The Sete Cidades Crater Lake, in the category of “Inland Aquatic Areas” and the Pico Mountain, in the category of “Landscapes,” were announced on Saturday night as two of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal,” elected by popular voting that took place over several months. 
The President of the Regional Government attended the show that marked the end of the competition and expressed his satisfaction for the fact that the event was broadcast worldwide, projecting an image of the Azores as an “environmentally referenced region, qualified in terms of natural heritage and environmental policy and therefore, it deserved to be the chosen place for this election.”
Carlos César was even more pleased by the fact that the Azores won what was legally allowed to win, that is, “this fact each region could only win in the categories was invented and we, Azoreans, know they invented it.”
The competition rules – that prevent the election more than two  “Natural Wonders” for each Portuguese region – were eventually detrimental other Azorean candidates, such were the cases of Lagoa do Fogo Crater Lake, the Furna do Enxofre and the Algar do Carvão.
Underlining that all Azorean candidates could have won, Carlos César admitted, however, it was good that other regions also achieved the desired election, “so that others may feel also they are living in pleasant areas.”
In any case, the President of the Government highlighted the importance of the competition as well as of the closing show, which was attended by thousands of people, not only in the avenue, but also “in this extraordinary new undertaking, the “Portas do Mar,” which revolutionised the city of Ponta Delgada, bringing an Atlantic dimension to this city and allowing it to have this platform for the organisation of large-scale and quality events.”
Moreover, Carlos César expressed his believe that when one speaks well of the Azores it is when one knows the Region, and it is even “essential to know the reason why it is good to be Azorean, the reason why we should be proud in the Azores and the reason why those who are not Azoreans must really like the Azores.”