We study the catalytic condensation of furfuryl alcohol with 1‐butanol to butyl levulinate. A screening of several commercial and as‐synthesized solid acid catalysts shows that propylsulfonic acid‐functionalized mesoporous silica outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art phosphotungstate acid catalysts. The catalyst is prepared via template‐assisted sol‐gel polycondensation of TEOS and MPTMS. It gives 96 % yield (and 100 % selectivity) of butyl levulinate in 4 h at 110 °C. Reaction profiles before and after a hot filtration test confirm that the active catalytic species do not leach into the solution. The catalyst synthesis, characterization, and mode of operation are presented and discussed.