Any thoughts on these ideas for week in October?

[WhereIsBlueRabbit]

I posted previously about where might be a good bet with a 3 year old in late September/early October and got some good ideas. Following conversations with DP, I've now come up with the following ideas and would welcome thoughts from anyone who's done similar with a child this age. Originally I wanted a beach/pool holiday somewhere quiet but it feels a bit late in the season to go somewhere weather-dependent and Cyprus/Rhodes feel a bit far.

Criteria are that there has to be stuff to do if the weather's iffy, not more than 3 hours flight, and needs to be somewhere we could manage without a car. Cheaper would also be good - we plan to rent an apartment and self-cater, with some meals out.

• Portugal (possibly Cascais)

-south of Spain, maybe flying into Seville and out of Granada. This is the sort of holiday we'd have had pre-kids but am not sure whether I'm mad for considering it? We'd stay somewhere with a pool.

• Nice - basing ourselves here and pottering around doing trips by train along the coast.

• Sardinia - we'd be somewhere like Alghero or Cagliari rather than resorts. I found somewhere on the beach near Cagliari, possibly Poetta, which looked like a good option.

• possibly Madeira? Looks interesting and fairly laid back.

Any thoughts? Recommendations?

I didn't find Madeira very child friendly.
Nice, on the other hand, could be very feasible. Nice has innovative playgrounds in every corner, from the Promenade de Paillon (giant climbing whale, octopus swings, fishing treehouse…), to thethe top of the Chateau (giant climbing rope tree, ducks, huge waterfall), to the Parc des Deux Rois (shooting water spouts and ping pong tables, take bus #14).
For a rainy day, try Kid City, an indoor lego-land-like amusement park for little ones, 15 minutes from Nice in Lingostiere.
Parc Phoenix is a child-oriented covered botanical gardens and nature park(super cheap, near the airport).
There's a small Natural History Museum behind Place Garibaldi and a cave man museum above the port (in an actual prehistoric elephant hunting camp).
Confiserie Florian in the Port is a sweet shop with a FREE short guided tour. Kid friendly tours can be given in English. The tour lasts less than 10 minutes, so it’s a quick stop while you're at the Port. We saw where the chocolate treats were made, learned about French candied fruits and tried a few treats.
L'Art en Movement is a mechanical toy museum. Most of it is free and worth exploring if the weather is foul.
At Monaco, there's the expensive but worth-it aquarium.

Thank you - that's really helpful! Exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

Does anyone have any thoughts on southern Spain, Portugal or Sardinia?

With Southern Spain you're risking unsettled weather, probably the same with Nice and Portugal (although pp has given good ideas for rainy weather). We had rain in Salou last September.

We have Sardinia booked for this September, but early September, and I've never been before so can't say what it will be like but apparently September is the most pleasant time of year to visit in terms of temperature (it's not boiling) and Italian tourists (who form the bulk of visitors) are back home. My understanding is that the holiday season winds down mid September in Sardinia so October could be quiet.

Can I persuade you to reconsider Cyprus? Our plan for October half term in 2019 is Paphos. We went 5 years ago (pre kids) at end of Sept/early Oct and the weather was approx 30 degrees every day. There's loads to do there, cheap and easy public transport and a nice beach.

Málaga and Seville areas will be gorgeous that time of year, just make sure your hotel pool is heated.

I'd be quite up for Cyprus personally but DP is concerned about how DS will be on a plane and thinks 4 hours is too long for a first flight. I think it would be fine myself, but I'm an optimist!

I think DP also has reservations about a beach holiday in terms of heat and whether DP DS would cope with higher temperatures....

Ischia rather than Sardinia - cheaper, easier to get around, just as beautiful but more to do.

Look at Le canne family spa hotel

Isla Canela/Ayamonte area of Spain
You actually fly to Faro in Portugal and it’s a 40 minutes drive over the borde.
Not overdeveloped and largely undiscovered by Brits but good amenities, also cheaper than Portugal ( people come over for petrol and groceries)
You could easily go to Seville for the day if you wanted
We own a property there and have been going for over 10 years so I’m happy to help with specifics if needed

And the weather is perfect in October