Hiking guidebooks as tools for teaching and geographical analysis

This article explores the pedagogical potential of hiking guidebooks (topoguides) as tools for teaching and geographical analysis in higher education. The project was carried out in a rural Mexican context and involved 45 people, including professors and students from seven undergraduate programs. Once the book was completed and published, we conducted qualitative surveys with the participants and the students who currently use it. The shift from looking to observing is the first step in acquiring a form of geographical thinking. It is not simply about learning geography; it is about adopting an ethical stance toward relating to territories and the people who inhabit them. Interdisciplinarity allowed for the generation of territorial knowledge that previously did not exist in the area in an integrated way. However, bringing together specialists from different disciplines does not, in itself, guarantee truly interdisciplinary work. The subsequent use of the guide by the City Council demonstrates that the knowledge generated at the university can be incorporated into public policies and local development strategies. The paper presents an educational tool that can be replicated in other Latin American contexts.