The invention relates to a process for preparing 
cyclopentanol with 
cyclopentene. The process includes the following steps: (1) mixing the 
cyclopentene with 
acetic acid, then subjecting the 
liquid phase to esterification through a catalyst 
bed formed by sulfonic group cation exchange resins so that the the 
cyclopentene and the 
acetic acid can be converted into cyclopentyl acetic ester with the 
molar ratio of the 
acetic acid and the cyclopentene being (2-5):1, the 
space velocity being from 1 to 3 hr-1, the 
reaction temperature being between 50 DEG C and 80 DEG C, and the reaction pressure being from 0.1 to 0.5 MPa; (2) subjecting the reaction liquid to rectification in a 
fractionating column with a 
theoretical plate being 25, recycling the unreacted cyclopentene and acetic acid from the top of the 
fractionating column, and directly using crude cyclopentyl acetic ester obtained from a column reactor as ester-exchange raw materials; (3) mixing the crude cyclopentyl acetic ester with methyl 
alcohol, subjecting the mixture to 
transesterification through a catalyst 
bed formed by granular 
calcium oxide (CaO) and finally obtaining the 
cyclopentanol. Compared with processes in prior art, the process for preparing the 
cyclopentanol with the cyclopentene enables the reaction conversion ratio and selectivity to be improved obviously, the process is obviously simplified, and the defects of the equipment 
corrosion and the environment 
pollution which are caused by using 
sulfuric acid in the indirect hydration 
processing of the 
cyclopentane are overcome.