The Spanish navy bought a series of British designed cruisers, all based on British cruiser classes. Therefore, the Canarias class was based on the Kent class (the Almirante Cervera class on the E class, Blas de Lezo-class on the C class and the Reina Victoria Eugenia on the (WW1) Town class).
For the Spanish navy, a Washington cruiser was large - as it was for the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy always wanted smaller cruisers. The Washington Treaty caused an upward jump in size of cruisers.