The Bay of Concepción is a natural bay on the coast of the Province of Concepción

Concepción Province, Chile

Concepción Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . Its capital, Concepción, is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation, the nation's second largest metropolitan area after Santiago.-Administration:...

 in the Biobío Region of Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. Within the bay are many of the most important ports of the region and the country, among them Penco

Penco

Penco is a Chilean city and commune in Concepción Province, Biobío Region on the Bay of Concepción. Founded as the city of Concepción del Nuevo Extremo on February 12, 1550 by Pedro de Valdivia, it is the third oldest city in the country after Santiago founded first in 1541 and La Serena second...

, Talcahuano

Talcahuano

Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile.-Geography:...

, and Lirquén.

Quiriquina Island

Quiriquina Island

Quiriquina Island, Chile is located at the entrance to the Bay of Concepción, 11 km north of Talcahuano.In April, 1557, Don Garcia de Mendoza, Spanish viceroy of the Kingdom of Chile, arrived at the harbor of Concepción, with a large force of infantry and established himself upon the island of...

, located to the north in the mouth of the bay provides a windbreak. The island creates two entrances to the bay: Boca Chica and Boca Grande. Boac Chica, between Quriquina Island and the Peninsula of Tumbes, measures 2 km wide and in its narrower part 1,500 metres, with shoals to the sides and although water depth is 15 metres, the passage of large ships is reduced to 400 metres. Boca Grande, is 5 km wide, with depths of 35 metres, which makes it comodious for large vessels..

The sector of the bay where the Port of Talcahuano is located is known as the Bay of Talcahuano, and is protected by the Peninsula of Tumbes and Quiriquina Island.