Hotel Delphin Nouadhibou (Iron Ore Train 6)
Intro
Once you finish riding the Iron Ore Train in Mauritania and living through one of the most incredible experiences of your life, you will want two things. Firstly, a hot shower, and secondly, a nice hearty breakfast. Well, there is one place in the town of Nouadhibou that I cannot recommend enough: Hotel Delphin.
Shower+Rooms
The city of Noaudhibou is a small one, at least in comparison to the likes of Dakar or the surrounding cities in surrounding countries. However, Nouadhibou is an important city, due to its coastal proximity and also the second largest in Mauritania.
The nicest hotel in the city is Hotel Delphin. Nightly rates seem to sit around 65 USD per night, and usually, there is plenty of space if you happen to walk up to the front desk.
The rooms are decadent and a far cry from what we experienced in Zouerat. I managed to get about 3 hours of sleep before heading on the long drive back over to Nouakchott, and it got to the point where I did not want to get out of bed.
But the most important part after the iron ore train was a shower. In most places around the world, I would say that it would be okay to book a cheaper hotel, but in Mauritania, not a lot of places have hot water.
I managed to squeeze out about 25 minutes of hot water until it turned lukewarm, which was enough to get most of the Iron Ore off of my body. It wasn't until 2 weeks later that all the iron ore fell out of my ears...
After breakfast (which I will touch on in a minute), I went back for a couple of more showers. Unfortunately, the hot water didn't last more than 10-15 minutes in each of the showers afterward, but it was better than a lot of other places, that is for sure...
Breakfast
What is heaven? Some might call it where one goes after they pass, and others might call it 7 cups of coffee and 5 croissants at the Hotel Delphin in Nouadhibou😂. I am not religious...
Once you are off the iron ore train, you will want breakfast; there are no two ways around it. Hotel Delphin offers a hearty breakfast, including pastries, coffee, and some other hot items, such as eggs. Additionally, they offered a la carte lunch later in the day, but I had to leave.
I believe the cost is around 10 USD for the breakfast, but for some reason, I was never charged, which was a bit strange.
The views of the coastal city are beautiful, and plenty of active ships are ready to take the iron ore to their destinations. Interestingly, the major export of Mauritania is iron ore, which is why there are 2-3 trains per day from the mines to the port.
When I say those croissants were phenomenal, I don't think it was just because I was hungry. There is a large French influence in Mauritania, and I think the croissant taste has something to do with that😉.
Bonus: There is also a pool that is featured at the hotel, although I never had time to check it out.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are a backpacker on a budget or an adventurous traveler seeking to explore every country in the world 😉, make sure you book Hotel Delphin in Nouadhibou after riding the Iron Ore Train. I promise you, the 65$ that you will spend, you will forget about it in a heartbeat. The beds are made of heaven, the breakfast is delicious, and you get hot water!
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