Magnetic properties and hysteresis of a mixed spins (1, 2) hexagonal Ising nanowire with core–shell structure in the presence of lattice anisotropy and external magnetic field are investigated by using Monte Carlo simulation based on the Metropolis algorithm. First, we analyze the ground state phase diagrams to discover all probable and stable configurations based on minimizing the system energy. The effects of the exchange couplings (Jint, Js) and the single-ion anisotropies (Dc, Ds) on the magnetic quantities of the system, namely, the total magnetization, the transition temperatures and the hysteresis curves. Several characteristic behaviors are found, such as the appearance and the compensation behavior, which is of crucial importance for technological applications such as thermo-optical recording. Additionally, under certain physical parameters, multiple cycle hysteresis loops, such as single and triple hysteresis loops, that exhibit different step effects and various forms, are observed.