I am considering taking my sister to Key West to celebrate the big 4-0! We like to eat, drink, relax on the beach and shop in unique shops... basically have fun. Any reccomendations would be much appreciated!

Try here. There is a lot of information.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...s_Florida.html

Oooh, I wish I were your sister! Or even my own sister (whom we treated to a weekend at the Camelback Inn for her 40th... but I digress...).

I hosted my husband's 40th birthday party in Key West, and we stayed at the Marquesa. While there are a lot of nice, intimate places to stay in Key West, I think the Marquesa is the nicest. It's not on the water, but you don't need the water in a setting like this. West Indian styled rooms surrounding a lush, secluded courtyard with two pools, orchids and tropical vegetation. All just a few blocks off Duval.

We also enjoyed a really special dinner, before everyone else arrived, at Cafe Marquesa. It definitely requires a reservation.

For a little less upscale, you can enjoy some fantastic fish sandwiches and burgers -- and if you're lucky, you can wash them down with Kalik beer from the Bahamas -- at BO's Fish Wagon on Caroline Street.

For a really funky breakfast/brunch/lunch destination, try Blue Heaven at Thomas and Petronia Streets in Bahama Village. There's a great courtyard with cats and roosters wandering about, and the eggs benedict made with fish instead of Canadian bacon and a lime hollandaise sauce is a great Key West meal.

Key West isn't much of a beach destination. If you want beach, rent a car and drive to Bahia Honda, the best beach in the Keys. Key West is more about walking around and shopping and absorbing the history and unique shops and architecture and yeah, having a drink or two as you go along.

Enjoy!

You might consider the Pier House at the foot of Duval St.... they have a small beach and are in the heart of the action...

I absolutely love Key West, but it concerns me that you mention wanting to relax on the beach. It is definitely NOT a beach destination, as the keys are coral and all beaches are man-made (most tiny, too!)