Spain might be Britain's favourite overseas holiday destination but finding the hidden gems between the famous Costas, and the tourist-filled city centres can be a challenge. So, for the second in our series of live Q&As on Europe's most popular countries, we've brought together a panel of experts to help you plan your perfect Spain holiday. Between them the experts have travelled the length and breadth of the country, so whether you are looking for inspiration – perhaps you're keen to explore a new area – or are after specific advice on a particular city or resort, post your questions in the comments below and the panel will do their best to answer as many as possible. And if you're a regular visitor or live in Spain, feel free to join in the chat – we'd love you to share your insider tips. The experts will be online from 1-2pm GMT on Tuesday 12 March.
The experts
James Sturcke is a former Guardian staff reporter who moved to the mountains of La Rioja, in northern Spain, three years ago. He now runs his own press and commercial photography business– a job through which he has got to know some of northern Spain's best chefs, hotels and places to visit. He's developed a particularly extensive knowledge of Rioja bodegas.
Catherine Ferron is a partner of Casas Cantabricas, an independent tour operator specialising in northern Spain. Based in Cantabria for over 27 years, she has travelled all over the country is particularly knowledgeable on Cantabria, Asturias, La Rioja and Galicia. Co-author of Buen Provecho, Casas Cantabricas' own restaurant guide, her main passion is gastronomy and wine, culture and customs – but she can also direct you to undiscovered beaches and little corners of the country.
Andrew Allen is a Barcelona-based journalist. He knows the city well but also regularly travels to inland Catalonia, the Costa Brava and the villages of Aragon. Family activities are one of his specialities as well as architecture and property.
Joe Cawley is a freelance travel writer and author living in the hills of Tenerife with his wife and two children. Having moved to the Canary Islands in 1991, he's since written many travel features on all seven islands, covering various aspects from spa reviews to family and adventure travel. Joe also co-runs online Tenerife travel guide mydestination.com/tenerife and wrote Kindle book More Ketchup than Salsa: Confessions of a Tenerife Barman.
Duncan Rhodes lives in Barcelona and is the founder of urbantravelblog.com, an online magazine specialising in insider city guides, and barcelona-life.com, which offers tips on sightseeing, culture, eating, drinking and partying in the city.
Tim Murray Walker has lived in Andalucia since 2007. He and his wife are the owners of Casa Olea, a boutique B&B nestled in the Sierra Subbeticas mountains, half way between Granada and Cordoba. Before moving there, they travelled extensively throughout Andalucia looking for the ideal location to set up their B&B. The areas he knows best are Cordoba, Granada and Jaen provinces, along with his two favourite stretches of Andalucia's coastline – Cabo de Gata national park (near Almeria) and the Costa de la Luz (Tarifa to Cadiz).
Sarah Serakalala is a South African living in Madrid. She is the founder of the website cheapinmadrid.com, a city guide giving tips on entertainment and eating out on budget in the city.
Javier Bartolomé was born in Madrid and spent his childhood holidays at locations all over Spain. In 2007 he founded Away from the crowds – a company specialising in cycling and walking holidays in Spain – with his brother, and has a local's knowledge on where to find special locations away from the tourist hotspots.
