The old town spreads out either side of the creek that splits the city in two. On the south side, the small souk has been partly restored as a low-key heritage district with whitewashed walls, wooden doors, and a handful of perfume, gold, and textile shops. It is not Dubai's Spice Souk and it doesn't pretend to be — most stalls cater to the local population, with cooking pots, household electricals, and bolts of cloth.
Walk the creek-side corniche in the late afternoon when fishermen are bringing in the day's catch and dhows are unloading; the boats still trade across the Gulf with Iran. The fish market just behind the corniche is busy from dawn, and the adjacent fruit and vegetable market is a good place to pick up local dates. Nothing here will detain you for long, but it gives a sense of what RAK was before the resorts.