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Isla de San Simón
Isla de San Simón (English: San Simón Island) is an island belonging to the archipelago of San Simón in the estuary of Vigo, Spain. The island dominates the bay of San Simón. It is linked to the island of San Anton by a bridge. The set of the two islands is 250 meters wide and 84 long. Throughout its history, the island was used as a monastery, quarantine hospital, leprosy colony, prison and home for orphaned children.
From 1936 buildings on the island were used as concentration camp and extermination camps for political prisoners who were in opposition to Franco. After the civil war, prisoners came from all prisons throughout Spain. It was officially rated as a penal colony, but was actually a concentration camp, killing political prisoners, Communists, Republicans, socialists and anarchists . It remained in operation until 1943.
The island was considered one of the most feared prisons of Franco.
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Open Water Swimming[edit]
Isla de San Simón is site of one of the Triple Break swims (Triple Crown of Prison Island Swims), where swimmers challenge themselves to escape by swimming at least 3 of the world's most well-known prison island swims including Le Château d’If, Fort Boyard, Devil's Island, Île de Gorée, Robben Island, Alcatraz Island, Spike Island, Rottnest Island, and Sainte-Marguerite.
Triple Break Sites (listed by region and country)[edit]
Africa[edit]
- Mogador Island (Morocco): 2.2 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the late 1800s
- Île de Gorée (Senegal) 5.2 km to mainland, was known as the location of the House of Slaves
- Robben Island (South Africa): 7.4 km to mainland, was the former isolated prison home of Nelson Mandella and other South Africans
- Changuu (Tanzania): 34 km to mainland and 4.5 km to Zanzibar, was used in the 1860s as a prison for rebellious slaves
- Saint Helena (UK Colony in South Atlantic Ocean): 1,800 km to mainland was used as a prison for Napoleon
Australia[edit]
- Rottnest Island (Australia): 19.7 km to mainland, was used as an Aboriginal prison between 1838 and 1931 for men and boys
- Fort Denison (Australia): 1 km to mainland, was used as a prison and for hanging in the 1800s
- Cockatoo Island (Australia): 0.5 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1839 to 1869
Central America[edit]
- Isla San Lucas (Costa Rica): 4 km to mainland, was used as a prison 1873 to 1991
- Coiba (Panama): 20 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1919 to 2004
Europe[edit]
- Alderney Island (Alderney, Channel Islands): 15 km to mainland, was a camp for Russian slave workers for the German occupational forces during WWII
- Spitbank Fort (England): 1.3 km to mainland, built in 1878 and served later as a prison
- Île du Levant (France): 12 km to mainland, was used as a children's prison
- Fort Royal de Sainte-Marguerite (France): 1 km to mainland, was used as a military prison and where the famous Man in the iron mask was held captive
- Le Château d’If (France): 5 km to mainland, was a fortress and prison for 400 best know through the novel The Count of Monte Cristo
- Fort Boyard (France): 18 km to mainland, is an oval-shaped fort and military prison
- Île de Brescou (Brescou Fort) (France): 1.5 km to mainland, was used from late 1600s for 200 year as a state prison for crimes such as treason
- Oleron Island (Île d'Oléron) (France): 3 km “organised race” to mainland, was used as a state prison between 1789-1870
- Château du Taureau (France): 0.7 km to mainland, was used in the 1720 as a small prison (10 prisoners maximum)
- Belle-Île (France): 15 km to mainland, was used from 1902 to 1977 for children
- Ile d’ Yeu (France): 20 km to mainland, was used until 1950s the 1860s as a state prison – famous for Marshal Petain
- Saint-Martin-de-Ré (France): 16 km to mainland, was used as a transfer prison for convict destines for Devil's Island
- Makronisos (Greece): 5 km to mainland, was used in the 1946-1949 as a prison political prisoners
- Fortress of Bourtzi (Greece): 0.5 km to mainland, was used from the 1865s as a prison
- Spike Island (Ireland): 2 km off the larger Island of Cobh, was the former isolated prison home of infamous Irish inmates
- Pianosa (Italy): 18 km to mainland, was used from Roman times and later for Mafia members as a prison
- Elba (Italy): 22 km to mainland, was used as Napoleon’s prison
- Grmožur (Montenegro): 1.5 km to mainland, The “Alcatraz” of Montenego from 1843
- Mamula Fortress (Montenegro): 1.2 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the 1800s
- Cabrera (Spain): 25 km to mainland, was used in the early 1860s as a prison during the Napoleonic Wars – once housing 25,000 prisoners
- Tabarca (Spain): 21 km to mainland, was used in the 1700s as a prison
- Isla de San Simón (Spain): 0.4 m to mainland, was used from 838 to 1927 as a prison and leper colony
- Långholmen (Sweden): 0.3 km to the center of Stockholm, was used as a prison for 250 years – closed in 1975
North America[edit]
- Alcatraz Island (U.S.A.): 2.3 km to mainland, was the former isolated prison home of Al Capone and other celebrated American criminals
- Santa Cruz (U.S.A.): 33 km to mainland, was use to house prisoner after Mexico's independence from France
- Fort Warren (U.S.A.): 11 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the American Civil War 1862
- Fort Jefferson (U.S.A.): 110 km to Key West Florida, was used as a prison for USA Civil War deserters and plotters to kill Abraham Lincoln
- McNeil Island (U.S.A.): 4.5 km to mainland, was used as a prison in the 1880s up to 1,200 inmates
- Johnson Island (U.S.A.): 5 km to mainland, was used as a prison from 1861 with up 2,500 Conference prisoners
- Peddocks Island (U.S.A.): 0.4 km to mainland, was used as a prison during World War II for Italian prisoners
South America[edit]
- Devil's Island (French Guiana) 14 km to mainland, was a well-known location of the French penal system and a leper colony
- El Frontón (Peru): 5 km to mainland, was used as a prison until the 20th century
External links[edit]
- Triple Break - Global List Of Prison Island Swims
- Triple Break Grows To Worldwide Prison Island Swims
- Jacques Tuset Heads To Isla de San Simón
- Jacques Tuset Makes An Escape In The Ice
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Jacques Tuset Honored By The Hall Of Fame
- World's Greatest Escape Artist Swims From Angel Island
