Inland navigation, as opposed to navigation carried out in the seas and oceans, takes place on waterways or waterways inside the continents, whether natural, such as rivers and lakes, or artificial, such as navigable canals "Canal (artificial waterway)") and reservoirs; or navigation that is carried out in a natural path (channels) that is formed by the distribution of the different islands in the archipelagos, and/or other geographical formations in the water.

It is the most economical means of transportation, if you think about the cost per ton-kilometer transported. In effect, to transport 1 ton 1000 km are consumed:[2]​.

In South America, important inland navigation projects are in the analysis phase, for example: the "Waterway" in the Paraná - Uruguay basin reaching the Paraguay River passing through Asunción and reaching Puerto Cáceres in Brazil. The total extension of the "Waterway" is 3,442 km, and allows the interconnection between Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The main components of inland navigation are:.

In Chile, inland navigation stands out in the south of this country, a product of its geography, made up of numerous archipelagos, islands and peninsulas (e.g. Chacao Channel in the Chiloé Archipelago); where a connection with the rest of the country is required.