Data sources and credits
Spotwander is built on free and open data. Thank you to the thousands of people who map, photograph and write about places around the world.
Each place page lists the sources that place came from. Places found by only one source, or whose sources disagree, are marked “location approximate” until a traveller confirms them. Spotted a mistake? Open the place and tap “Been here?”, or fix it at the source (for example on OpenStreetMap), so everyone benefits.
Place data
OpenStreetMap
Most places (names, local names, locations, types), the map tiles, town search and road routing.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the ODbL. Spotwander’s place list includes OpenStreetMap data, so it is covered by the ODbL too.
Licence: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0
Geofabrik
The OpenStreetMap country extracts we download and process.
OpenStreetMap extracts downloaded from Geofabrik GmbH. Thank you for the free downloads.
Licence: OpenStreetMap data, ODbL 1.0
Overture Maps Foundation
Extra places (Places theme), mostly spots missing from other sources. Their locations are marked “approximate” in the app until checked.
Contains data from the Overture Maps Foundation (Places), used under CDLA-Permissive-2.0.
Wikidata
Place types, links to Wikipedia, extra places with coordinates.
Structured data from Wikidata. No attribution is required; we credit it with thanks.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain)
Wikivoyage
Names and coordinates of “See” and “Do” listings, and links back to the article. We do not copy Wikivoyage text.
Listings from Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0. Every place that came from Wikivoyage credits it on its page.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
GeoNames
Natural features (waterfalls, lakes, peaks, caves…), shrines, forts and alternate names used for matching.
Geographical data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. We removed duplicates, merged records and changed categories.
Licence: CC BY 4.0
Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia
Place photos and links to Wikipedia articles; geotagged photos also help check locations.
Every photo shows its author and licence next to it, with a link to its page on Wikimedia Commons.
Licence: Each photo’s own licence (CC BY, CC BY-SA or public domain)
Maps, routes and weather
Open-Meteo
Weather and forecasts on place cards and trips.
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Licence: CC BY 4.0
OSRM
Road routes and driving times (on OpenStreetMap roads).
Routing by the Open Source Routing Machine.
Licence: BSD-2-Clause software; route data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Nominatim
Finding towns and villages when you search.
Search by Nominatim on OpenStreetMap data.
Licence: OpenStreetMap data, ODbL 1.0
Leaflet
The interactive maps.
Maps drawn with Leaflet.
Licence: BSD-2-Clause
Reusing our place data
Because the place list contains OpenStreetMap data, any copy of it is covered by the ODbL: credit “© OpenStreetMap contributors” and the other sources above, and share changes under the same licence. Visitor reports, reviews and stories belong to the people who wrote them.