Vasai Fort aka Bassein Fort (its original Portuguese name) is a splendid one-day getaway with abandoned churches and a spectacular view of the Arabian Sea. The fort is done up in parts – into a church, a chapel, and then the long stretch of the fort itself. In fact, the ride from the station to the fort in itself throws you out of Mumbai and puts you in a vacation mode – with landscapes of lush green pastures, cool salty sea breeze and mangrove trees lined up. If we didn’t know better, we’d mistake it for Goa, because of the greenery and quaintness.
The fort is a wonder to explore. Its history is imbibed in its walls as we could see ancient carvings and textures of the old bricks. It also makes a fascinating location for wedding photography as we stumbled across a couple channelling their most romantic souls against the gorgeous backdrop of this fort. Walk around a bit, climb up the stairs at the main church and you can see the beautiful blue Arabian sea against the backdrop of the setting sun.
Vasai Fort is best accessible by the Western Line Railway. The closest station is the Vasai Road station and you can take an auto to the fort for approximately INR 120 from there. (The autos there do not get by meter, and these are the set prices by the autos unless you take a shared auto.)
The post-monsoon season is the best to absorb the beautiful greenery it has to offer. It’s like entering fairyland – with creepers on the walls, old bricks shining in the sun and the carpeted land of more greenery. We also suggest getting there by 4 PM to see the demure sunlight that’ll brighten up the walls and the green spaces – afternoons and mornings can get really warm and you may skip seeing the calming dusky rays of the sun.