The invention relates to a process for preparing 1,6-hexanediol, preferably with at least 99.5% purity, which are especially virtually free of 1,4-cyclohexanediols, from a carboxylic acid mixture which is obtained as a by-product of the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone/cyclohexanol with oxygen or oxygen-comprising gases and by water extraction of the reaction mixture, by hydrogenating the carboxylic acid mixture, esterifying and hydrogenating a substream to hexanediol.