vidigal's location creates an extremely visible and stark contrast between the affluence of some parts of the city, and the harsh realities faced by favelas' residents, driving attention to rio's social issues, and spurring much debate.

because of its setting, vidigal is rich of animal and plant species protected by the instituto brasileiro do meio ambiente e dos recursos naturais renováveis - ibama (the brazilian institute of environment and renewable natural resources), thus this favela's expansion is closely watched and often limited by the local authorities.

vidigal is a very crowded community, made of a maze of narrow roads, steep slopes, unpaved passages, and crammed houses.  traffic is mostly limited to carts, bikes, and moto-taxis that can be taken at the entrance of the favela and can quickly ride to the top.