[1] Until the town of Etropole the river flows in northwestern direction in a deep forested valley.

In the southern neighbourhoods of the town the Malki Iskar turns to the northeast, flows through the Etropole Valley and enters in a gorge after the village of Laga.

It again changes direction to the north at Kalugerovo, its valley widens and flows into the Iskar at an altitude of 146 m near the town of Roman.

In its upper course a 38.4 km stretch of the second class II-37 road Yablanitsa–Pazardzhik–Dospat follows the river from the vicinity of its source close to the Zlatitsa Pass to Dzhurovo.

[3] Significant part of its waters are utilised for industrial needs,[1] especially the large Elatsite copper mine, which made the river prone to pollution until a treatment plant was put into operation in 2009.