travelers staying at the sheraton hotel can enjoy a private path to the beach - the sheraton hotel has a private garage where cars can be left for the day.    

on this link, the instituto estadual do ambiente (inea) provides the suitability of several beaches, including praia do vidigal.

constantly updated, the red flags mean that swimming is not advisable, green flags mean waters are clean, and yellow flags suggest using own judgment.

any of rio's beaches may have polluted waters within 24 to 48 hours following heavy rains.      

this link shows praia do vidigal on a wikimapia - the link is best seen using google chrome, as it might not open correctly with other browsers.