The gorge is in the west of the White Mountains, next to the village of Agia Irini. It is 7.5km long, requires three hours of hiking and is part of the E4 European path. The nearby seaside village of Sougia is a good place for swimming and resting.
The gorge includes areas that are protected by NATURA 2000 and the Wildlife Refuge, and it is an important habitat for many rare animal species. It is crossed by the river Ageriniotis and has lush vegetation with cypress trees, Eastern Mediterranean pine trees, maple trees, plane trees, kermes oaks and aromatic herbs like dittany.
During the Ottoman occupation of the island, this gorge was used as a refuge for the Cretan revolutionaries, and as an escape route to Omalos.