Punto Fijo is the peninsula's largest city and its commercial center, built up around the Amuay and Cardón oil refineries that together form one of the world's largest petrochemical complexes. The refineries dominate the skyline to the south and east, and the city's character is shaped by the workers and engineers who service them.
For visitors, Punto Fijo functions mainly as a logistical hub — it has the best transport connections, the most accommodation options, and the most reliable services on the peninsula. The city was once famous for duty-free shopping, though that trade has largely dried up in Venezuela's economic contraction. The beaches at Los Taques, roughly twenty kilometres to the north, and El Pico are accessible as day trips from the city.