This article studies theories that were discussed by the Neogranadinos geographers in the first half of the 19th century in order to know how the Alexander von Humboldt’s thought circulated among academ-ic community and what circumstances favored the incorporation of their ideas into the local scientific culture. First, I analyze some of the cartographic works produced by Francisco José de Caldas and Alex-ander von Humboldt during the first years of the century in order to identify the origin of their diver-gent and convergent views about geographical practice. Later, I examine the prevailing theories among the Neograndinos geographers in the first three decades of the century and I try to determine the circum-stances that motivated the reevaluation of the Humboldtian thought. Finally, this article shows that a resignification of geographic knowledge occurred concurrently with a re-read of Humboldt’s ideas and with the need to reform the Neogranadino State. It argues that early contact with the Prussian scientist did not pave the way for his approaches to be immediately incorporated into the local scientific field, but that their assimilation occurred after a complex process of adaptation to the receiving intellectual sphere