The gorge hosts the endangered Cretan wild goat, kri kri, and is characterized by a variety of many species of wildlife. The variety in flora is very important, from trees (cypress, pine, maple, plane, oak, holm oak) to shrubs, brushwood and fine herbs such as dittany. It gets its name from the homonym village located near the entrance, its crossing takes three hours and it ends up in the seaside village of Sougia.