Bassein alias Vasai, near the Thane creek was an ancient Portuguese settlement constructed in 1532 by Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat. The ruins of the majestic Bassein Fort can be seen here which was established in 1534 by the Portuguese as the headquarters of their Indian operations. Formerly, the fort protected the province of Bassein and offered shelter to about 60,000 inhabitants, 2,000 Portuguese and 58,000 Indian Christians. Now what remains are the parts of the imposing 4.5kms long fort walls, two access doors ('Porta do Mar' and 'Porta da Terra') and remnants of Portuguese buildings and churches.  There are also decorative gateways inscribed with coats of arms and Portuguese graves dating back to 1558. The fort, surrounded by sea on the three sides, is about 70 km north of Mumbai and is a favourite location of Bollywood film makers.

Access: Bassein or Vasai is 77 kms by road along the Mumbai- Ahmedabad highway. The nearest station is Bassein or Vasai on the Western Railway. From there the fort can be reached by auto-rickshaw or taxi.