The App
AudioMaya is a self-guided audio tour app for ancient Maya archaeological sites in Mexico. Your GPS location is shown on an interactive map of the site. Tap any station marker to open its content and play the audio — the map makes it easy to see where you are and what's nearby.
Each site guide covers all major stations with narrations available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, and Russian. The app works completely offline — download the guide before you arrive and you won't need cell service at the site.
Who Built It
AudioMaya was created by René Hungerbühler, a software developer and independent traveler based in Switzerland. René has visited Maya sites across Mexico and Central America, and repeatedly found the same gap: hiring a guide was expensive and inflexible, but going without one meant missing most of the history.
The first version of AudioMaya was built to solve that problem for Tulum — the site René has visited most often. The app is independently developed and maintained, with no venture funding or corporate backing.
How the Content Is Researched
Every station script is grounded in archaeological literature. Primary sources include publications from INAH (Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History), peer-reviewed archaeological journals, and site-specific excavation reports. Each station goes through multiple drafts, with a focus on accuracy and readability — the goal is to make the history feel tangible, not to recite dates and measurements.
The content is also written to be useful at the site itself, not just interesting at home. Station narrations are timed to what you can see while standing there, so the guide and the ruins reinforce each other.
How It Compares to a Tour Guide
Hiring a private guide at most Maya sites typically costs $30–50 USD and ties you to their pace and schedule. AudioMaya costs $5.99 as a one-time purchase per site and works on your timeline. Pause when you want to take photos. Replay a narration you missed. Skip ahead if you're running short on time.
AudioMaya is not a replacement for every kind of guided experience — a knowledgeable human guide can answer questions and adapt on the fly. But for independent travelers who want reliable, well-researched content at a fraction of the cost, it's a practical alternative.
What's Coming
AudioMaya is expanding to cover Maya archaeological sites across Mexico. Current and planned sites include Tulum, Chichen Itza, Palenque, Uxmal, Coba, Calakmul, and Ek Balam. Each new site goes through the same research and production process as the Tulum guide.
Contact
Questions, feedback, or partnership inquiries: audiomayaguide@gmail.com