ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a summary of the major characteristics of the maritime Maya world – types of ports and their functions, port facilities, and a discussion of water transport and navigation routes along the coasts and into the interior via riverine routes. Large sections of the Maya coasts have intracoastal waterways, which greatly facilitated long-distance trade. These themes are described within a chronological framework that traces the increasing role of the sea and water transport in Maya culture and civilization from the Preclassic Period through Postclassic times.
