diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5482c4c..0619881 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ Django users have to be created in the CRUD backend, available at https://leeway
 
 The program regularly fetches incoming mails via IMAP and starts simulations from key-value-pairs in the mail subject or text body. The sender of the mail needs to have an associated account. Allowed keys via e-mail are: `longitude`, `latitude`, `object_type`, `radius`, `duration`, `start_time`. The separator between key and value is `=`. Key-value-pairs are separated by `;` in the subject and by new lines in the text body. The date format for start date is `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS`.
 
+# API usage
+
+API documentation can be found at: https://leeway.tuerantuer.org/api/docs/
+
+Authentication can be provided in two ways:
+1. Via your session cookie, obtained from the normal login
+2. Via an authentication token, can be obtained via [/api/auth/login/](https://leeway.tuerantuer.org/api/v1/docs/#/auth/auth_login_create)
+
 # Installation
 
 **Prerequisite:** _Python 3.8 or later is required._
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/__init__.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/apps.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/apps.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..beab57a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/apps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
+
+
+class ApiConfig(AppConfig):
+    """
+    Application settings for the `api` app,
+    which is the app providing the REST API.
+    Inherits from `AppConfig`.
+    """
+
+    name = "opendrift_leeway_webgui.api"
+    verbose_name = _("API")
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/urls.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/urls.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e5bdac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/urls.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+"""
+URL patterns for the Opendrift Leeway Webgui API
+"""
+from django.urls import include, path
+
+#: The namespace for this URL config (see :attr:`django.urls.ResolverMatch.app_name`)
+app_name = "api"
+
+#: The url patterns of this module (see :doc:`django:topics/http/urls`)
+urlpatterns = [
+    path("", include("opendrift_leeway_webgui.api.v1.urls", namespace="default")),
+    path("v1/", include("opendrift_leeway_webgui.api.v1.urls", namespace="v1")),
+]
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/__init__.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78bb3e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"""
+The first version of the Opendrift Leeway Webgui API.
+"""
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/serializers.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/serializers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08e096f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/serializers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+from rest_framework import serializers
+
+from ...leeway.models import LeewaySimulation
+
+
+class LeewaySimulationSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
+    """
+    Serializer for the Leeway Simulations. Inherits from
+    `serializers.ModelSerializer`.
+    """
+
+    #: Show username instead of id
+    username = serializers.ReadOnlyField(source="user.username")
+
+    class Meta:
+        """
+        Define model and the corresponding fields
+        """
+
+        #: The model class for this serializer
+        model = LeewaySimulation
+
+        #: Exclude user field because the username is shown instead
+        exclude = ["user"]
+
+        #: Define fields which are shown when retrieving simulations,
+        #: but cannot be set when creating new ones
+        read_only_fields = [
+            "uuid",
+            "img",
+            "netcdf",
+            "traceback",
+            "simulation_started",
+            "simulation_finished",
+        ]
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/urls.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/urls.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e9ad3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/urls.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+"""
+URL patterns for the first version of the Opendrift Leeway Webgui API
+"""
+from django.urls import include, path
+from drf_spectacular.views import SpectacularAPIView, SpectacularSwaggerView
+from rest_framework.routers import DefaultRouter
+
+from . import views
+
+#: The namespace for this URL config (see :attr:`django.urls.ResolverMatch.app_name`)
+app_name = "v1"
+
+#: Router for dynamic url patterns
+router = DefaultRouter()
+router.register("simulations", views.LeewaySimulationViewSet, "simulations")
+
+#: The url patterns of this module (see :doc:`django:topics/http/urls`)
+urlpatterns = [
+    path("", include(router.urls)),
+    path("auth/", include("knox.urls")),
+    path("schema/", SpectacularAPIView.as_view(), name="schema"),
+    path(
+        "docs/",
+        SpectacularSwaggerView.as_view(url_name="api:v1:schema"),
+        name="swagger-ui",
+    ),
+]
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/views.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/views.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0945a78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/api/v1/views.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+from rest_framework import mixins, viewsets
+from rest_framework.permissions import IsAuthenticated
+
+from .serializers import LeewaySimulationSerializer
+
+
+# pylint: disable=too-many-ancestors
+class LeewaySimulationViewSet(
+    mixins.CreateModelMixin,
+    mixins.ListModelMixin,
+    mixins.RetrieveModelMixin,
+    viewsets.GenericViewSet,
+):
+    """
+    A viewset for simulations of the authenticated user, with the option to
+
+    - Create new simulations
+    - List all existing simulations
+    - Retrieve a single simulation record
+    """
+
+    #: Only enable this viewset for authenticated users
+    permission_classes = (IsAuthenticated,)
+
+    #: The serializer to use for simulations
+    serializer_class = LeewaySimulationSerializer
+
+    def get_queryset(self):
+        """
+        Only return the simulations of the current user
+        """
+        return self.request.user.leewaysimulation_set.all()
+
+    def perform_create(self, serializer):
+        """
+        Automatically set the user field on creation
+        """
+        serializer.save(user=self.request.user)
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/settings.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/settings.py
index 82ab3fe..e61ae87 100644
--- a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/settings.py
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/settings.py
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@
     "django.contrib.messages",
     "django.contrib.staticfiles",
     "opendrift_leeway_webgui.leeway",
+    "rest_framework",
+    "drf_spectacular",
+    "knox",
 ]
 
 #: Activated middlewares (see :setting:`django:MIDDLEWARE`)
@@ -281,6 +284,36 @@
 CELERY_RESULT_BACKEND = "redis://localhost:6379/0"
 
 
+#############################
+# DJANGO REST API FRAMEWORK #
+#############################
+
+#: The configuration for django-rest-framework (drf)
+REST_FRAMEWORK = {
+    "DEFAULT_SCHEMA_CLASS": "drf_spectacular.openapi.AutoSchema",
+    "DEFAULT_AUTHENTICATION_CLASSES": (
+        "rest_framework.authentication.SessionAuthentication",
+        "knox.auth.TokenAuthentication",
+    ),
+    "DEFAULT_VERSIONING_CLASS": "rest_framework.versioning.NamespaceVersioning",
+    "ALLOWED_VERSIONS": ("v1"),
+    "DEFAULT_VERSION": "default",
+}
+
+#: The configuration for the API documentation by drf-spectacular
+SPECTACULAR_SETTINGS = {
+    "TITLE": "Opendrift Leeway Webgui API",
+    "DESCRIPTION": "The API documentation for the Opendrift Leeway Webgui",
+    "VERSION": None,
+    "SCHEMA_PATH_PREFIX": "/api(/v[0-9])?",
+    "CONTACT": {"email": "tech@integreat-app.de"},
+    "LICENSE": {
+        "name": "Apache 2.0",
+        "url": "https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html",
+    },
+}
+
+
 ##########
 # EMAILS #
 ##########
diff --git a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/urls.py b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/urls.py
index 8bf620d..76593e1 100644
--- a/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/urls.py
+++ b/opendrift_leeway_webgui/core/urls.py
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@
     path("", include("opendrift_leeway_webgui.leeway.urls")),
     path("accounts/", include("django.contrib.auth.urls")),
     path("admin/", admin.site.urls),
+    path("api/", include("opendrift_leeway_webgui.api.urls", namespace="api")),
 ]
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c9f0c0f..59250fa 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ classifiers = [
 dependencies = [
     "celery",
     "django>=4.1",
+    "djangorestframework",
+    "django-rest-knox",
     "dms2dec",
+    "drf-spectacular",
     "redis",
 ]