Chirije is an archaeological and ecological reserve about 30 kilometres south of Bahia de Caraquez, accessible by a rough dirt road or by boat. The reserve protects a stretch of dry tropical forest, several kilometres of unspoiled Pacific beach, and the site of a major pre-Columbian settlement of the Bahia culture — a seafaring civilisation that flourished on this coast between 500 BC and AD 500.
The archaeological site has yielded ceramics, figurines, burial urns, and structures from the Bahia period. The reserve also contains 238 hectares of tropical dry forest — one of the most endangered ecosystems in the Americas — home to howler monkeys, iguanas, and numerous bird species. Accommodation is available in basic cabins on the beach, making it possible to visit for more than a day. The combination of archaeology, wildlife, and deserted beach is genuinely unusual and well worth the effort of getting there.