the morro do borel, commonly called just 'borel'  is a medium sized favela. It is home to about 20,000 residents and located in the tijuca area, in the center of rio.

Borel was established in the 1920's as a response to the relocation of residents from other parts of the city. It owes its name to a cigarette factory that was in the area at the time, belonging to the french brothers borel.

in 1931 the famous samba school g. r. e. s. unidos da tijuca was created in borel.  this samba school has been champion of the parades many times, and it is one of the most anticipated and impressive teams to parade during carnival celebrations.