A diastereoselective synthesis of 2,6-syn-disubstituted tetrahydropyrans has been developed based on the ability of furanyl–etherchiral centres to epimerise readily under acidic conditions. This novel methodology was applied to the synthesis of (+)-2-((2S,6S)-6-methyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl) acetic acid, a component of the African civet cat’s glandular marking secretion.