In this article, we examine the relationship established between what the history of education in Spain has identified as "pedagogical renewal" and the proposals, experiences, reflections, meetings and training spaces framed in what at the time was identified as "intercultural education". This analysis stems from the apparent disappearance of everything generated around "intercultural education" throughout the 1990s from the historical account of pedagogical renewal. Faced with this apparent mismatch, the authors of the article argue that the main characteristics of the intercultural proposal (in terms of organisational forms, the global nature of its proposals and critical spirit questioning some of the basic pillars of the dominant educational system and model) would allow it to be identified with the movements, proposals and practices of pedagogical renewal. Additionally, the authors highlight the commitment and involvement of individuals, groups and journals aligned with the pedagogical renewal in the promotion and defence of intercultural education. Consequently, the authors finally propose some key insights that may help us understand why this presence and participation tends to be overlooked in the historiographical account of the renewal.