A sacbe is a raised paved road built by the Maya civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.
The Yucatec Maya term means “white road”: sac means “white,” while be or beh means “road” or “way.” The roads were commonly built over stone and rubble fill and may have been surfaced with white limestone plaster or stucco. Their elevated construction helped create durable routes across uneven or wet ground.
Many sacbeob linked temples, plazas, and architectural groups within Maya cities. Others connected separate settlements. The best-known examples include the road between Uxmal and Kabah and the route from Chichén Itzá’s central precinct to its Sacred Cenote. The 62-mile road between Cobá and Yaxuná is among the longest famous examples.
Sacbeob were not simply ancient highways in the modern sense. They could support movement, trade, political relationships, and pilgrimage. “Calzada” is a Spanish translation sometimes used for such roads, but sacbe is the specific Maya term asked for here.