Over 260 natural landmarks were nominated from people around the world.
Experts chose the final 26 from the 77 landmarks with the most votes.
The list will be reduced to a final seven in 2011.
Other finalists included the Grand Canyon in the United States, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon rain forest and Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro.
Organiser Bernard Weber said over one billion people were expected to vote on the final seven.
"This campaign should contribute to the appreciation - to the knowledge - of our environment and not just the one in our country but worldwide.
"If we or our children want to save anything, we should first appreciate it."
The competition is similar to that for the seven Man-Made Wonders of the world chosen in 2007.
The winners then were the Colosseum, Italy; the Great Wall of China; the Taj Mahal, India; Petra, Jordan; Christ the Redeemer Statue, Brazil; Machu Picchu, Peru; and the Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Mexico.
Full list of the finalists on: http://www.new7wonders.com/
