The invention relates to a method for preparing cyclopentanol from cyclopentene. Cyclopentene and acetic acid are mixed for an esterification reaction, cyclopentyl acetate is generated, a catalyst adopts cerium nitrate modified sulfonyl cation exchange resin during a transesterification reaction, and the exchange capacity of cerium ions is 10%-30% of that of resin mass; the conversion rate of the esterification reaction is remarkably increased; during the transesterification reaction of crude cyclopentyl acetate and methanol, the transesterification reaction is catalyzed through granular CaO and a sodium methylate composite catalyst dissolved in a reaction liquid, cyclopentyl acetate and methanol can be catalyzed for the transesterification reaction, a small amount of water brought into reaction raw materials can be removed, difficulty caused by CaO hydrolysis and product separation is avoided, and the pollution problem of an existing process is effectively solved.