The Living Maya is an interactive multimedia tool that immediately transports the user to the Mayaland of Belize upon placing the CD ROM in the drive. In addition, a four minute overview introduces the user to the Maya and describes the sixteen topic areas.

The documentary's basic layout is like a book - with 524 pages of text organized into 16 chapters and over 1,000 pictures. But, it's contents are linked like a website. One can easily move throughout the documentary by using buttons at the bottom of pages and within the page layout.

Click a button and hear the indigenous languages while reading an English translation, read a fascinating life account of a village elder, or watch a video. Videos of traditional life, sacred events, the natural environment, and community activities are available in appropriate sections.

The user's curiosity drives the documentary. Instead of following a predetermined path through this fascinating culture, The Living Maya lets the user decide what he or she would like to learn.