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For a year, Dudy showed thousands of people the Vallarta that locals actually live — one photo a day, every day. Now, as he moves forward to the San Francisco Bay Area and his page becomes My Around the World Daily, we asked him to tell us where it all started. In his own words: what a year of living Vallarta, heart first, taught a photographer who’s spent 30 years capturing the world.
Falling for Vallarta — again and again
1.You’ve traveled the world for 30 years and taken over 100,000 photos. What made you stop and photograph Vallarta daily?
Answer: “I fell in love with Vallarta the moment we landed for the first time back in 2020. I don’t know exactly what it was, but it was love at first sight. Then we came back again and again and again. Each time, I took more and more photos. I’m a fanatic photographer, but Puerto Vallarta makes it almost too easy to take far more photos than usual.”
2. You wrote that this year let you experience Mexico “from a local perspective instead of through the eyes of a tourist.” When did you feel that shift happen?
Answer: “I think I started feeling like a local during our third or fourth vacation in Vallarta, long before we moved. Maybe that’s why we decided to move — because it already felt like home and we felt like locals. But it’s only when you spend a full year here, 365 days, through all the holidays and seasons, that you truly feel 100% local.”
3. What did photographing the city every day teach you that a two-week vacation never could have?
Answer: “Learning new things every day. As a tourist, I don’t think I invested the time to really learn and dive deep into the history, fun facts, art, and stories. It was only after I started my page that I began saying, “Hey, there’s a story there!” and became a Wikipedia geek.”
The Vallarta most visitors walk right past
4. What’s one place most visitors miss that you came to love?
Answer: “That’s easy. It’s the other little boy with his seahorse — the one at the end of Los Muertos Beach near Mantamar. I’ve been to Mantamar, which is just steps away from that beautiful sculpture, and somehow missed it again and again. Even after we moved to Vallarta, it took me a while to visit what I consider the introverted brother of the boy next to the Vallarta sign on the Malecón.”
5. Is there a local person who represents the warmth and generosity you described in your goodbye post?
Answer: “Everyone, seriously. Well, let’s just say it out loud: I have a favorite taco stand, but I’m not brave enough to reveal it. But yes, everyone in Vallarta is friendly, generous, and accepting. Neighbors became friends, taco stand owners became friends. That’s one of the reasons this city is magic.”
What he’s taking with him
6. You call this move “moving forward,” not going back. What part of Vallarta is moving forward with you?
Answer: “That’s easy. The pace of life. I’ll take the peacefulness, the siestas, the ahorita way of life. Nothing is so important that you need to rush it. Life is short. Take a breath. Slow down. I hope I can keep that mindset even when I’m back in the Bay Area.”
7. How will Vallarta change the way you photograph every other place in the world?
Answer: “My photography style has changed over the years, and I can see it today when I look back. I think Vallarta made me appreciate colors, small moments, the little details, and the fact that every corner has a story to tell.”
8. You quoted Dickens — that a traveler learns to appreciate home more from wandering. Did Vallarta teach you something about home?
Answer: “Yes! Vallarta taught me things about myself, my childhood, and my relationship with the world and with myself. I’ll keep those to myself because they’re personal, but Vallarta changed me. I know exactly the moment it happened. It was a profound moment. I hope everyone finds that moment in their lives.”
9. What will you miss most — the thing that never quite fit in a photo?
Answer: “Wow. So many people, friends, places, and little daily moments. I’ll miss the sunsets the most.”
10. For the people staying, and the ones just discovering Vallarta: if they had one free evening here, where should they spend it?
Answer: “At the beach. You, someone you love or appreciate, a blanket, maybe some tacos you brought with you, a beer (or a limonada for me), and just watch the sunset. Then wait until the sky turns dark blue, then wait until it’s completely dark, and watch the stars. What’s the rush?”
About Dudy
Dudy is a photographer and storyteller who has spent 30 years and 100,000+ photos capturing the world. After a year of living in Puerto Vallarta, he now shares daily photos and stories from around the globe.
📷 Follow his journey at My Around the World Daily ✈️ Considering the move yourself? Don’t miss his honest 10-part Moving to Mexico series— the magic and the hard parts.
Editor’s note & his parting gift
Dudy spent a year seeing Puerto Vallarta the way we believe it deserves to be seen — up close, daily, heart first. His page proved something we build I Heart Vallarta around every day: the difference between visiting a place and knowing it comes down to the people, the corners, and the small rituals that never make the postcards.
His story is, in three words, ours:
Loved. He fell for Vallarta the moment he landed — and kept falling, one photo a day, for a year.
Local. Not the tourist version. The neighbors-became-friends, favorite-taco-stand, ahorita version.
Loyal. He’s moving forward, but Vallarta isn’t letting go —Dudy is now an honorary lifetime member of I Heart Vallarta. Whenever he comes back, his city will be waiting.
Planning the move yourself?
I Heart Vallarta is the local community waiting for you on the other side — vetted local businesses, honest recommendations, and the people who make this city home. Join at the founding rate and land connected.
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