Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo is situated in a valley 10 km (6 mi) south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the harbor of 1,429.3 km2 (552 sq mi). The average temperature in the city lies around 14 °C (57 °F), and precipitation is low.

The Coquimbo Region is one of Chile's 16 regions. It is bordered by Atacama to the north, Valparaíso to the south, Argentina to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the national capital, Santiago.