Coquimbo

Coquimbo, city, northern Chile. Founded in 1850, it is the main port in the area.

Situated 7 miles (11 km) southwest of La Serena on Coquimbo Bay, its roadstead and dock area, among the best sheltered in Chile, are a winter haven for the Chilean navy as well as a loading port for cement, phosphate fertilizer, and various ores and concentrates. The Pan-American Highway and the main north-south railway pass through the city. Pop. (2002) city, 148,434; (2017) municipality, 227,730.